Executive Summary 

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) operates across Africa along Russian foreign policy lines. The Church does not publicly claim collaboration with the Kremlin or Wagner Group, but there is a known historical connection between current ROC leadership, state institutions and the Presidency. Moreover, Wagner force deployments collocate with the Church’s presence in African countries. Additionally, the Russian Church’s new exarchate, which is the arm of the ROC in Africa, infringes on the canonical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, which has jurisdiction over the entire continent.

The ROC’s influence in local African politics through soft power and outreach manifests tangible results. For example, African countries’ UN voting on key Ukraine issues, along with exclusive mining contracts, coincides with the Church’s presence. Furthermore, the Church—along with state-company contracts and Wagner—helps Moscow fill the gap created by African nations’ geopolitical realignment away from the West and diminishing American and French presence on the continent. While Wagner’s presence in Africa fluctuates, the ROC presents a more stable and long-term way for Moscow to assert influence. 

Images Sourced From: ROC Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa