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Does Russia have colonies in Africa or not? Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this question has resonated, specifically regarding the war, on African Twitter.

While some African users see hypocrisy in the behavior of European countries today, as these countries have “occupied” foreign territory (Africa) in the past, others point out that Russia also has its own, albeit brief, colonial history in Africa.

The “African Hunt” peaked at the end of the 19th century. It was dominated by European powers, including Great Britain, France, Germany or Portugal, which at the Berlin Conference (at the turn of 1884 and 1885) divided their spheres of influence and established geometric boundaries. Namely, the ones we can still see on maps today. Russia doesn’t want to be left behind either.

The Russian adventurer Nikolay Ivanovich Ashinov took advantage of the opportunity during his trip to the then-Ethiopia Empire, aiming to strengthen mutual relations. With his company of about 200 Cossacks, in January 1889, Ashinov anchored in the village of Sagallo in the present-day Djibouti region, which he named New Moscow. server RFE/RL.

“The (Russian) colony was the left wing of Russian-Ethiopian relations, which were warm and intense at the turn of the 19th century,” Afrikaist Jan Záhořík of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen told Seznam Zprávy.

Tsar Alexander III however, according to Záhořík, he distanced himself from the actions of the Cossacks, and the invaders were quickly driven out by the French, who were fighting for a dominant position in the region. The Russian state thus lasted only a few weeks, and no monuments from this period remain in Djibouti today.

Currently, according to Záhořík, Russia has no above-standard relations with Djibouti. According to him, Moscow’s offer is very limited compared to Beijing, which has a strong position in the region. “(Russia) can offer all kinds of arms deals, contacts or training programs,” he gave an example.

But Djibouti’s importance continues to grow. The country of nearly one million people is today an important hub for world shipping, ships passing from Asia to Europe and vice versa. Anyone who decides to enter the Red Sea must cross the “Gate of Tears” (Strait of Mandeb) and the waters of Djibouti. According to German server Deutsche Welle Up to 10 percent of global trade flows through this route.

“Djibouti is very important when it comes to controlling the movement of goods, including strategic raw materials, and this is one of the reasons why world powers are building military bases in this country. Another reason is the presence of pirates in Somali waters,” explained the African man.

Thus, it refers, among other things, to the first in the country. It is in Djibouti that the largest number of military bases of the entire continent are located. The largest with five thousand troops belongs to the United States, which established it in the country after September 11, 2001. Other countries also have military posts here.

Japan built it in 2009. This was in response to increased piracy activity at the time, and the base was used to manage military operations in the region, according to Germany. server Deutsche Welle. The same goes for Spain and Italy. They all cooperate with the US in military operations, he wrote English BBC public service.

Since 2017, Beijing also has a military base in Djibouti, which is the only one not located directly on Chinese territory. However, according to foreign media speculation and international relations experts, he may not be the last.

“China is present in every possible sector of the economy – the construction of all the backbone infrastructure, trade in goods, services and barter. The advantage is that it offers its goods at acceptable prices, which, for example, Western countries cannot afford in some sectors of the economy,” explains Záhořík of China’s influence in Djibouti.

Apart from shipping, Djibouti was also an important link by land to Ethiopia and further into the African interior. For example, on August 30, the first ship with Ukrainian grain bound for Africa arrived at the port of Djibouti since the start of the war. Grains travel further by rail to Ethiopia and other countries, he says server Al Jazeera.

“The line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti is very important. The railway was originally built by the French at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, then gradually disappeared during the Cold War, and in the last decade China rebuilt it and electrocuted it,” Záhořík explains the history of the railway.

According to DW, Djibouti’s ports annually bring up to 2.4 billion crowns (100 million euros) to the state treasury. However, the income was mainly used for the modernization of the port and did not change the lives of ordinary people.

“When you look at the situation on the pitch, the main thing you will see is that people are still very poor. Djibouti is still one of the poorest countries in the region,” Hassan Khannenje, director of the Horn Institute for Strategic Studies, a regional think tank based in Nairobi, Kenya, told DW.

According to World Food program 42 percent of the population lives in poverty. In addition, 90 percent of the country is dependent on commodity imports.