TOPIC: THE CHALLENGES OF RUSSIAN CONTEMPORARY ENGAGEMENTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN STATES 1991-2019

Abstract

This paper deals with the challenges of Russian relations with thirty years of Russo- Southern African relations between 1991 and 2019, following the closure of several diplomatic services and questionable engagements of nuclear extension in the region with a hiding agenda of the 21^st Century. Her incapacity to continue running some of  her embassies in the region was due to lack of financial resources which resulted from the collapse of  the  Cold War and disintegration of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) into Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1991.The devastated  Russian economy could only left her behind unrealistic foreign agenda that was perfectly destroyed by Mikhail Gorbachev’s hasty declaration of Glasnost and Perestroika as  new international norms which facilitated the United States of America (U.S.A) to re-gain a unique prominent position as the Policeman of the World. This meant that Russian engagements with SubSaharan African countries were now in a handicap and dangerous stance towards the 21^st Century. What then constituted Soviet Union’s lateness of foreign policy initiative towards Africa’s, challenges of the 1990s and new patterns of Russian relations and initiatives of exploiting natural resources and setting up of nuclear agenda in Southern African States are the main concerns of this study. With the adoption of a historical approach, the scrutiny of specialised sources concerning this question enabled us to come out with finding that, contemporary Russian attempt to aggressively  reinforce relations with specific Southern African countries pave the way forward of  Great Fear in case of any nuclear war in the 21^st Century. That Southern and Central African leaders of Sub-Saharan Africa should be aware that the previous Cold War Super-Power competition was over but it took a new form in the face of a unique Hyper- Power position dominated by the United States in the Post-Cold War era which the crumbled Russia is recently bend to correct some of her mistakes through deeper penetration of main strategic zones of Africa as a means of preparing and multiplying her networks of attacks and defense in the Atlantic and India Oceans. This engagement with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is very pertinent after thirty years of the collapsed of USSR and new orientations in international relations and international political economy with the challenges of the 21^st Century Unite States.and China Hyper-economic positions in the global economic system with U.S Hyper-Power position in international politics as a unique policeman of the World.