The Russian Foreign Ministry’s press secretary, Maria Zakharova, announced during a briefing that Russian embassies in the African countries of Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan are set to open soon. According to Zakharova, “In 2023, the Russian embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea began their activities, and now it’s the turn of Niger and Sierra Leone, where we’re resuming activities that were unfortunately suspended in 1992 due to financial reasons. We’re also establishing a new diplomatic mission in the Republic of South Sudan.”
Zakharova revealed that the government signed the relevant orders at the end of December 2024, with the official opening of the embassies scheduled for the “near future.” In November 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced the opening of the Russian embassy in Niger’s capital, Niamey, stating that the parties are determined to build bilateral cooperation, which is confirmed by the opening of the Nigerian embassy in Moscow. In the summer of 2023, Niger’s elected President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted from power by a military coup due to corruption and poverty.
The Russian embassy in Guinea will serve as a representation in Sierra Leone, and in the South Sudan, the Russian embassy in Uganda will fulfill a similar function. Niger and Sierra Leone are located in West Africa, while South Sudan is situated in East Africa. The latter was established in 2011 as a result of the civil war and the division of Sudan.