Russia uses Orthodox Church to expand geopolitical influence in Africa – Bloomberg

According to a detailed investigation by Bloomberg, the Kremlin has turned the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) into a key soft power tool to solidify its position on the African continent. Through the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, established in 2021, Moscow is luring clergy, using religion as a cover to spread propaganda, recruit supporters, and displace Western influence. This is reported by UNN.

Details

Over the past three years, the ROC has opened its parishes in at least 30 African countries, focusing on states with unstable political situations and strong anti-Western sentiments. The Exarchate acts aggressively, often ignoring the canonical boundaries of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which historically oversaw the continent.

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In addition to religious services, the church is building a network of schools, hospitals, and cultural centers where, under the guise of humanitarian aid, the ideology of the "Russian world" is imposed on the local population, and Russian aggression against Ukraine is justified.

Russia exports to Africa not only weapons but also "Orthodoxy," using the church as a tool to undermine legitimate structures and form loyal elites. This is part of Moscow's neocolonial strategy aimed at gaining access to strategic resources through manipulation of religious feelings

Speculation on anti-colonial narratives

The main tool for attracting new supporters has been the rhetoric of Russia as the "sole defender of traditional values," which allegedly has no colonial past in Africa.

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The ROC actively uses the historical traumas of African peoples, contrasting itself with Western missionaries. However, behind the facade of spirituality lie pragmatic goals: lobbying for the Kremlin's interests during UN votes and creating favorable conditions for the activities of Russian private military companies, which often provide security for new church facilities.

Patriarch Kirill has effectively integrated the church into the state machine, turning the exarchate into a de facto branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Instead of spiritual service, ROC priests are engaged in promoting anti-Western alliances and preparing the ground for a long-term Russian military presence on the continent

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