In the shadow of Russia’s expansion in Africa, notably through the notorious company Wagner, or that of China, which has long been active in the region as well as in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been maneuvering on the African continent for several years and, more particularly, since the election of the late Ebrahim Raissi in August 2021.
Islam in Africa. Following the example of Turkish “drone diplomacy”, the Iranian authorities exploit the military and media success of their drones, deployed notably in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, to advance their geopolitical pawns in the region; thus, the sale of Nigerian “yellow-cake” is said to have been conditional on Teheran’s delivery of combat drones [35]. The same is true of Sudan, with which Iran is said to have sought to negotiate – in vain, it would appear [36] – the provision of a naval base on the Red Sea [37] in exchange for a combat ship and in compensation for the numerous drones already delivered by Teheran and used extensively [38] in the civil war opposing Mohamed Hamdan Dogolo’s “Rapid Support Forces” to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s regular Sudanese army since April 15, 2023.
Conclusion
Since the election of Ebrahim Raissi in 2021, and particularly from 2022/2023 onwards, the Iranian authorities have gone on the offensive in Africa to increase their presence and influence; For Tehran, this satisfies the triple ambition of securing strategic interests – such as uranium in Niger – intensifying the spread of Shiism in sub-Saharan Africa, and developing its network of partners committed to a multi-partner approach, even opposed to the European and North American powers. If Ebrahim Raissi had been one of the main architects of this protean offensive in Africa, his death should not prove a hindrance to Iranian expansion on the African continent. Whatever the identity of the future president, the Islamic Republic should continue to forge ever-stronger ties with the various African countries and local players that are in its interests – or, at least, inclined
to be