Russia is no longer among the least interested countries in Africa, and their interaction has increased in recent years in the military, energy, and resource domains. Among all these emergent fields of cooperation, the most striking one is the nuclear cooperation between Russia and African countries.

Russia’s nuclear collaboration with Africa addresses energy deficits, providing clean and stable electricity to support growing populations.

As the world has mainly been concerned with Russia’s geostrategic and military actions, its nuclear cooperation with African nations shows more profound aim and purpose. For Africa, it serves important lessons on the future of energy, the advancement of technology and the place of the continent in the global system of nations.

The Russian Federation has been involved in development of nuclear activities in the international level for quite a long time. It has an advanced nuclear energy program and boasts having first rate civilian as well as military nuclear power. In the subsequent years, Russia has tried all the way to transfer its nuclear skills to the other regions of the world including the African region.

The cooperation is mainly based on the civilian use of atomic energy, although military components are not entirely left behind. Several areas of cooperation include construction of nuclear power plant, nuclear fuel supply, nuclear engineers training, and nuclear research centers.

Another of the principal tenets of Russia’s nuclear cooperation with Africa is construction of nuclear power stations. Several nations around the world such as Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan have signed deals with Russia to build nuclear powered stations for production of electricity.

The best example of this is the Russia –Egypt deal to build the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, which many consider to be a landmark in the Russian nuclear power agenda. El Dabaa plant is designed to have four reactors and among the biggest nuclear energy projects in the Middle East. This is being spearheaded by Russia’s Rosatom which combines both knowledge and equipment needed to put up the power plant.

Projects like the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant highlight Russia’s ambition to dominate Africa’s nuclear energy sector through Rosatom.

The cooperation does not spare the reactor construction only, Russia is also supplying uranium fuel to African nations. Russia is interested in nuclear cooperation with Africa and an African nuclear power could provide Rosatom with such an opportunity by ordering fuel for reactors it has or plans to have. This is another very effective area in the Russian penetration of the African market that guarantees the future supply of uranium and increases Russia’s unipolar control over energy resources.

There is an increased nuclear collaboration between Russia and African countries consequently, with both political and economic benefits affecting the cooperation. The world needs clean power, many African nations require energy, and nuclear is a safe, stable source to meet their demands. The population of Africa is rising and so is the probability of needing electricity. Many countries experience energy deficits and the available hydrocarbon resources and imported electricity are only considered as a short-term solution.

Speaking of strategic perspective, nuclear cooperation in Africa is beneficial for Russia as it can diversify its impact in the region which was substantially dictated by Western countries. Africa is endowed with natural resources and through the increasing influence of Russia in the continent it gets access to the resources, that may include uranium, oil and minerals. According to the new contracts on nuclear energy cooperation with African states, Russia is actively penetrating the spheres of energy cooperation and striving for a dominant position in the perspective of world energy sources.

Furthermore, ownership of nuclear technology enables Russia to demonstrate its hegemonic power in a continent, which is slowly emerging as a powerhouse in the world today. As one of the African continent’s major components of the United Nations and the African Union, Africa is influential, and Russia is eager to gain friends and supporters among African leaders.

Safety, funding, and environmental risks are key concerns as Africa develops nuclear infrastructure with Russia’s assistance.

In an overall perspective, Russia through nuclear cooperation with African nations, it is noted that, there are some problems and issues emerged from such cooperation which is helpful in energy sector development. However, some of them include the following: One of which is the safety issue.

First, nuclear energy is intrinsically unsafe and many of the African countries are not only technologically but also physically unprepared to contain nuclear power stations. This raises a high likelihood that the materials will be involved in accidents or could be mishandled, or there is little or no regulation to protect the health of the population and the environment.

The last one is the issue of the funding of nuclear energy projects. A nuclear power plant is an economically capital-intensive affair with Russia’s state-owned Rosatom providing the money factor, but most African countries’ economy remains uncertain.

Moreover, there is concern regarding the environmental threat of nuclear energy. The environment in Africa is sensitive to the effects of a materialization of an accident of a nuclear reactor and some populations are still suspicious regarding atomic energy. The disposal of nuclear waste, which takes thousands of years to become non-hazardous, is another problem that may cause Africa’s nuclear plans to go up in smoke.

On the geopolitical reading, rising Russian involvement in Africa could escalate conflict with Western nations. The United States, the European Union, and other Western countries have considered Africa as their backyard.

Rising Russian influence in Africa through nuclear deals challenges Western dominance, reshaping global power dynamics.

It was also regarding European Nuclear Control that Russian growing influence through nuclear partnerships can be interpreted as a threat to Western his dominancy in the area. This could result into shift in international relations balance of power where African nations will be more capable and unconstructive in their foreign policy.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.