The president of Chad Mahamat Idriss Deby has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The Chadian president met with Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

During the brief televised meeting, the Russian president congratulated Deby on his success in stabilising Chad, saying that Russia was closely monitoring the country’s security situation.

“We are glad that it was possible to hold a referendum on the constitution. I am confident that the elections will be held at a high level in the near future. We are glad that you have managed to stabilise the situation in the country,” Putin said.

For his part, Deby offered his condolences to Putin following a military plane crash earlier on Wednesday in the Belgorod region of Russia near Ukraine.

The plane was carrying 74 people on board, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war due to be swapped. All were killed, according to the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov.

“I would like, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people, to express my sincere condolences for these deaths and those of the soldiers,” said Deby.

Deby has led Chad since 2021, when he took power in a coup, following the death of his father and long-serving president, Idriss Deby.

While Chad has been seen to be the last bastion of French influence in the region, the meeting in Moscow is a sign that Putin may be moving to build ties with the Sahelian country.

The Sahel region is a region in Africa that spans from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The region is of strategic importance to many countries for several reasons, including its role as a transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe, as well as its status as a home to a number of terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and Islamic State.
The meeting comes a week after Niger’s prime minister visited Moscow, resulting in an agreement to develop military ties.
Russia’s Influence in Africa: A Complex Issue with Multiple Dimensions
Russia has been seen by the international community in recent years as not to spare resources in its efforts to gain influence in Africa. Whilst often employing unpopular methods such as disinformation campaigns, and Wagner Group mercenaries. According to a report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Russia is involved in attempts to undermine democracy in more than two dozen African countries.
At the last UN General Assembly in February, countries such as Botswana, Zambia and Tunisia voted for “just and lasting” peace in Ukraine, while Mali and Eritrea voted against it, and 15 other African countries abstained during the vote. Russia’s influence and relationships in African countries might play a role in this.
A joint report by the Policy Center for the New South and the Africa Center presents a security perspective on Russia’s influence in Africa. The report highlights that Russia’s military engagement plays an important role in African countries.
Russia’s influence in Africa is a complex issue with multiple dimensions. While Russia seeks to increase its influence, African countries also have their own interests, and they are not passive in their relations with Russia.