Moscow is strengthening its influence in Africa through the Russian Orthodox Church – the church has registered in the Congo. | Ukrainian News
The expansion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa is proceeding in parallel with Russia’s geopolitical course.
The Russian Orthodox Church has officially registered its activities in the Republic of the Congo in Africa. This is another step toward establishing Moscow’s extensive religious network in the region. reported at the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council.
Why This Is Important
The Russian Orthodox Church uses churches as an instrument of hybrid influence not only in Africa but also in Europe—under the guise of providing aid, it even recruits Ukrainian refugees there. Correspondent LIGA.net …found that such activities of the Russian Orthodox Church are financed by Russian entities and affiliated oligarchs, while loopholes in EU legislation allow Kremlin networks to operate and even receive funds from Europeans – Read more in the article.The user interface supports multi-factor authentication.
The expansion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa is taking place in parallel with Russia’s geopolitical course of strengthening its presence in the countries of the Global South. In this context, church structures are viewed as an instrument of “soft power” that helps consolidate Moscow’s influence.
Reference
The Global South is a broad term for low- or middle-income countries that historically did not belong to the “Western” bloc. These typically include nations in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and parts of the Middle East.
The activities of the Russian Church align with the Kremlin’s state policy and can serve broader functions—ranging from laying the groundwork for economic and military cooperation to exerting ideological influence.
The African Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church may be used as a channel of communication with the local population, particularly to promote Russian interests and potentially recruit individuals for participation in the war against Ukraine.
On April 29, the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, that Russia has increased its contingents in African countries by 8,000 personnel.
- On April 30, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported that Russia launched an information operation …on TikTok and uses AI-generated videos featuring alleged “Orthodox priests.”
- On April 13, Estonian intelligence reported, that the Orthodox Church of Estonia remains under the influence of the Russian Federation.
Credit: Source link