Soviet Economic Aid to Africa

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Periodical article

Title:	Soviet Economic Aid to Africa
Author:	Lawson, Colin W.
Year:	1988
Periodical:	African Affairs: The Journal of the Royal African Society
Volume:	87
Issue:	349
Period:	October
Pages:	501-518
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Africa Soviet Union
Subjects:	development cooperation economic aid Economics and Trade international relations
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/722891
Abstract:	This article discusses four types of Soviet economic assistance to Africa: loans, trade credits granted to governments, short-term credits (swing credits) granted by Soviet foreign trade organizations to finance their exports in the context of bilateral cleaning agreements, and scholarship programmes. The main focus is on the first category of assistance loans for economic development. The article examines the motives for Soviet and East European foreign aid; the links between economic aid, military assistance, and normal trading relations; the size, nature and distribution of economic assistance to Africa; and the importance of the aid to the economies of individual African States. It shows that CMEA (Comecon) aid to Africa is small in size and concentrated in incidence. While globally the bulk of aid is directed at ideologically compatible allies, economic motivations now also play an important role. Only in the areas of technical assistance and scholarship provision do the CMEA States have an impressive record. Ref.