Global Perspectives | Ethiopia-Russia Relations

In 1943, Ethiopia and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations. Since then, great power competition and evolving political and economic interests have shaped the bilateral relationship between Ethiopia and the Soviet Union, and now Russia. How do the past 78 years affect today's ties? Do Ethiopia and Russia’s objectives in Africa dovetail or diverge, and what effect does the relationship have on the broader region? Abel Abate Demissie, Associate Fellow of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, joined us for a conversation on the state of Ethiopia-Russia relations and their future trajectory.

Selected Quotes

Abel Abate Demissie
"As you know, Ethiopia is pretty much an outlier in this region. The region is actually dominated by either predominantly Muslim countries and Catholic and Protestantism, which you find when you go down to the horn of Africa, but Ethiopia is an outlier. It is probably the only Orthodox Christian country together with Eritrea. So religion played an important role in the state building and nation building process and Orthodox Christianity had an important role in the state, particularly in 1974. The relationship between [Russian and Ethiopia] also has an element of exchange between the two countries’ patriarchs and the Orthodox Church leadership and the last meeting with the Orthodox Church patriarch has informed meetings with senior government officials and that was also true when Orthodox church officials visited Moscow in 2018. More than half of Russians define themselves as Orthodox Christians and more than 44% of Ethiopians also identify as Orthodox."

"In the last thirty years, Ethiopia has managed to navigate through the [the U.S., China, and Russia], but most importantly between the West and China, without disappointing anyone, but having an excellent relationship with the three countries, but most importantly with China and the West. Ethiopia remained one of China’s many important partners without being a resource-rich country, unlike many African countries that China has a strong relationship with. That comes with the fact that Ethiopia is endowed with a strategic advantage of being situated in an important position within the conflict-prone Horn of Africa region and particularly as it serves as one of the most pacifying factors in the region... This has made it an important ally for many countries in the world, but particularly these three important powers, China, Russia, and the U.S."

Michael Morrow
"Russia is also reasserting its influence in Africa by enhancing its security presence in multiple ways. In addition to the arms sales, Moscow was concluding security agreements and conducting military training, in particular with a number of unstable autocratic states in Africa, such as the Central African Republic, Libya, and Mozambique. One of Russia’s stated priorities in Africa is to advance regional peace and security and this is a priority it shares with the United States. However, given Moscow’s and Washington’s different histories and different approaches in Africa, it’s unlikely that the U.S. and Russia will significantly collaborate in this regard."

"Whereas Moscow portrays its growing relations with Africa as mutually beneficial for all parties involved, Washington often sees Russia’s presence as a threat to good economic governance and the rule of law in Africa. In fact, the prevailing view from Washington is that Russia is strategically targeting certain areas of Africa to gain a competitive advantage over the United States, particularly in regions where the U.S. has historically been heavily engaged, so for its part Washington has been paying close attention and is working to counterbalance Russia’s growing influence across the African continent."