 During the Cold War , and particularly in the late 1950s , the Soviet Union and People 's Republic of China adopted a strategy of <unk> of Western powers by disruption of their hold on African colonies . Nikita <unk> , in particular , viewed the ' <unk> third of mankind ' as a means to weaken the West . For the Soviets , Africa represented a chance to create a rift between western powers and their colonial assets , and create pro @-@ communist states in Africa with which to foster future relations . 
