At a UN General Assembly meeting in March, 26 countries from Africa were against, abstained, or absent in a vote to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It suggests Moscow's recent efforts to build ties on the continent have been bearing fruit. We examine how Russia is capitalizing on a power vacuum left by the west, with a mysterious mercenary group playing a key role. Guest: Abiru Taisuke (Senior Research Fellow, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation)