Why were some new African states likely to ally with Soviet Union in the Cold War? Communists had historically opposed imperialism / colonialism
Russia offered more money than the US
Russia was geographically closer

Africa–Soviet Union relations covers the diplomatic, political, military and cultural relationships between the Soviet Union and Africa, from the 1945 to 1991. Joseph Stalin made Africa, then divided in European colonies, a low priority, and discouraged relationships or studies of the continent. However the decolonization process of the 1950s and early 1960s opened new opportunities, which Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was eager to exploit.

Explanation:

At no time was Moscow willing to engage in combat in Africa, although its ally Cuba did so. Indeed the Kremlin at first assumed that the Russian model of socialized development would prove attractive to Africans eager to modernize. That did not happen, and instead the Soviets emphasized identifying likely allies and giving them financial aid and munitions, as well as credits to purchase from the Soviet bloc. Although some countries, such as Angola and Ethiopia, became allies for a while, the connections proved temporary. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian influence greatly diminished.

It was a second scramble for Africa. The great powers (in this case the Soviet Union and the U.S.) wanted Africa simply to prevent each other from possessing it African economic and political development was hindered; independence was often delayed.

alliances in ww1 were different from ww2 because the entente in ww1 made up of serbia,russia,france,britan,japan and italy later america  and all allied in a sort of balance of power and too keep germany,austria-hungary,and the ottomans down. russia allied the serbians in order to exert its influence in the balkans while france allied the russians because france was still in dismay and insulted after the defeat to the germans during the unification of germany and britian allied the belgians after the germans invasion of belgium.in ww2 the alliances were in a preemptive attempt to deter any further wars into happening while germany and italy allied since they were insulted and humiliated after the previous war while also sharing a similar ideology of facsim along with japan which all 3 had a want for world domination and agreed to assist one another in the endevours 

explanation:

there were abundant sources of fuel nearby