The impact of technology on Russian policy towards the African continent: Artificial intelligence as a case study

Abstract

The African continent has been a victim of colonial powers throughout its history due to its strategic location. Perhaps the most prominent period of dependency experienced by this continent was the Cold War, during the conflict between the United States and the former Soviet Union. The countries of the continent were divided between these two camps. However, Russia lost its hegemony and presence in the African continent when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. But Russia was quickly able to build its internal institutions and regain its strength at the regional and international levels, returning to the African continent since the beginning of the new millennium in the twenty-first century, specifically in 2000. Today, Russia represents one of the active players in African politics due to the importance it enjoys, as it possesses resources and wealth that qualify it to be a subject of strong and intense competition among the major powers, alongside France, China, the United States, Japan, and others. The African continent possesses qualifications that enable it to play a decisive role in shaping the future, in addition to the strategic location it enjoys, which has made it an attractive region for the major powers.