Moscow has even fallen behind the "former colonial power."
The "Afrobarometer" released a study stating that Russia's influence lags behind that of other countries, international organizations, and associations in terms of positive assessments in Africa.
The structure positions itself as a pan-African independent research network measuring public opinion on economic, political, and social issues on the African continent. It is important to note that the project's funding has been and continues to be primarily from North American and European government programs and private foundations.
The authors rely on their own surveys conducted in 38 African countries, where respondents were asked the following question: "In your opinion, is the economic and political influence of each of the following countries or organizations on your country mainly positive, mainly negative, or do you not know enough to say?".
"Afrobarometer" provides the following results: 36% of respondents say that Russia's economic and political influence on their country is "somewhat positive" or "very positive," while 23% say it is "somewhat or very negative." However, the majority (42%) consider it neutral or do not provide any assessment at all.
At the same time, the positive assessment of China's influence is rated at 62%, the USA at 52%, and the EU at 50%. Even the universal Former colonial power received 41% — 5% more than Russia.
The highest percentage of positive assessments of Russia's influence is in Mali (88%), Cameroon (60%), Guinea-Bissau, and Côte d'Ivoire (55% each). The lowest is in Botswana (13%), Eswatini, and Lesotho (14% each).
The material also publishes data on Africans' attitudes (by country) towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In Mali, 72% of respondents support Russia, but on average across the continent, according to the study, the same 72% of respondents were neutral on the issue of choosing one side of the conflict.
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