Abstract
This report maps the Ukrainian actors active in African countries and the narratives they deploy. It forms part of a broader analysis of the contest for influence in Africa, and complements SITE project’s work on the impacts of Russian strategic communication on the continent and proactive counter-narratives. The purpose of this mapping is threefold. First, it identifies alternative frames, actors, and communication approaches already present in the region, providing a baseline against which counter-narratives can be developed and tested. Second, it enables those counter-narratives to be strategically aligned, where relevant, with Ukrainian messaging, so as to maximise coherence and amplification. Third, it highlights opportunities to support Ukrainian actors operating in Africa through targeted assistance. Throughout, the analysis is oriented toward practical lessons for Sweden. Each chapter closes with a discussion of the implications for Swedish engagement. However, Ukraine’s rapid post-2022 reorientation toward Africa — undertaken under the exceptional pressures of wartime diplomacy — offers an instructive case for any external actor seeking to communicate credibly on the continent.