Although Europe is swallowing their pride and buying Russian gas in roubles, the European Union wants to end its use of Russian oil and gas by 2027. How will Europe replace Russian supply? One possibility, according to Statista, is Africa. Al Jazeera also examined this possibility, noting that “many African countries with massive gas reserves have also struggled to attract investment to build gas infrastructure projects to supply the European market.” That said, necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, investment. Yet, there’s going to be competition for Africa’s energy resources. Energy-hungry China, for example, is heavily involved in Africa. Ironically, the Russians also have a growing presence in Africa. Of course, there’s a fine line between investment and imperialism, like we’ve discussed before:
With tribal conflicts, the lack of nuclear weapons and an abundance of natural resources, African countries are prime targets for foreign powers. China has a military base in Djibouti and infrastructure projects all over the continent. Russia has deployed its military to the Central African Republic. France still has a substantial military presence in West Africa and many African countries are part of the UK-led Commonwealth of Nations.
Back in the late 1800s, the Scramble for Africa took place. European countries divided up Africa. Nearly the entire continent was under European control. These days, the combination of raw materials, corrupt governments and security issues has made Africa as vulnerable as ever to foreign armies. For now, countries are content to invest and send a few soldiers to help cooperative governments. It’s just the beginning.