Russia has deployed 200 military instructors to Equatorial Guinea, further solidifying its influence in Africa.
This move marks another chapter in Russia’s expanding military footprint on the continent, following similar deployments in countries such as the Central African Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Since September 2024, between 100 and 200 Russian military instructors have been stationed in Equatorial Guinea, where they are providing training to local forces and protecting high-ranking officials.
These instructors, affiliated with the Africa Corps—an entity believed to have absorbed the activities of the Wagner Group in the region—are tasked with enhancing the capabilities of the country’s military and securing key political figures, including Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the country’s long-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
The presence of these instructors is part of a broader strategic alliance between Russia and Equatorial Guinea, which has increasingly turned to non-Western partners for security support.
In a region traditionally dominated by Western influence, this growing cooperation with Russia offers Malabo an alternative to Western-backed security arrangements, and reflects the government’s broader efforts to diversify its political and military alliances.
This military engagement is the result of bilateral agreements signed in June 2024 between Moscow and Malabo, which formalized Russia’s military assistance.
During a visit to Moscow in September, Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ongoing support, which is seen as crucial in maintaining the stability of the regime.
Russia’s growing influence in Africa is part of a larger strategy to expand its presence across the continent.
By offering security partnerships with few strings attached, Moscow has become an increasingly attractive option for African governments seeking alternatives to the traditional Western powers, especially as many countries on the continent distance themselves from their former colonial rulers.
The deployment in Equatorial Guinea underscores Russia’s ambition to fill the power vacuum left by the retreat of Western influence in parts of Africa.
