News Snapshot:
Fuelled by guns, gold and social media, the rivalry between Russia and the West in Africa is rapidly escalating. The latest flashpoint is Chad, a sprawling desert nation at the crossroads of the continent, now a plum target for Russia’s expanding effort. The United States recently warned Chad’s president that Russian mercenaries were plotting to kill him and three senior aides and that Moscow was backing Chadian rebels massing in the neighbouring Central African Republic. At the same time, Moscow is courting sympathisers inside Chad’s ruling elite, including cabinet ministers and a half brother of the president. A sign proclaiming...
