Czechia's relations with Sub-Saharan African countries

This article examines the relations between the Czechia/Czechoslovakia and Sub-Saharan African countries from a broad historical perspective. The interest in this Central European state stems from its unique position in contemporary international relations. On the one hand, Prague is now an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic community, which is directly associated with the continent’s colonial past. On the other hand, it has a positive record of cooperation with African partners during its time in the socialist bloc. The study reveals that Czech engagement in African affairs began in the 1920s with the penetration of Czechoslovak companies into the region, which they saw as promising for trade and economic cooperation. The establishment of a communist regime in 1948 did not diminish economic interests but expanded Czechoslovakia’s involvement in Africa through ideological narratives of supporting friendly regimes and fighting capitalist oppression. Deep Czech engagement manifested in the widespread opening of diplomatic missions, military-technical cooperation, and academic exchanges. After the emergence of an independent Czechia in 1993, its focus on Euro-Atlantic integration led to a decline in interest in Sub-Saharan Africa. A renewed surge of attention came in the early 2010s when a consensus emerged among Czech elites about Africa’s potential for boosting Czech exports. Prague employed tools of economic diplomacy, official development assistance, and the expansion of its diplomatic network to strengthen its position. Quantitative indicators of Czech-African trade confirmed the effectiveness of this approach. However, following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the pragmatic perception of Africa as a promising partner gave way to a values-based approach characteristic of the EU and NATO. Although economic motives for cooperation persisted in 2022–2025, trends indicated the Czechia’s limited capabilities. It faced challenges such as the unstable conditions in African countries and their resistance due to disagreements over the political conditionality of the proposed dialogue.