2023-07-28 00:33:45
Vladimir Putin promised Thursday, on the first day of a Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, to deliver free cereals to six African countries. All this once morest a backdrop of concerns following the end of the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports.
Isolated on the international scene since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin can always count on the support, or neutrality, of many African countries and this summit is seen as a diplomatic and political test for Moscow.
In appeal of the foot, the Russian president assured, in his opening speech, that Moscow will be able “in the coming months” to deliver up to 50,000 tons of cereals free of charge to six countries: Zimbabwe, Somalia and Eritrea and three countries that have moved closer to Moscow in recent years: Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso.
“Our country can replace Ukrainian cereals commercially but also in terms of (humanitarian deliveries) free of charge,” he said, affirming that Russia was a “solid and responsible” producer.
“Obstacle” occidental
Moscow refused to extend the grain agreement that allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products via the Black Sea, a text that helped stabilize food prices and ward off the risk of shortages.
In his speech, Vladimir Putin justified his decision by saying that Western countries were “obstructing” deliveries of Russian fertilizers and cereals.
A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian army, Natalia Goumenyuk, accused Moscow of wanting “a grain monopoly” at a time when Kiev lacks anti-aircraft defenses to counter Russian strikes on its port infrastructure.
Crisis in Niger
Delegations from 49 African countries – including 17 heads of state – are expected in St. Petersburg despite “unprecedented pressure”, according to Moscow, from Westerners to dissuade Africans from attending.
This is less than during the first edition, in 2019, when 45 heads of state or government made the trip and 54 countries were represented.
One of the most anticipated is South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will discuss with Vladimir Putin the measures intended to create “conducive conditions for a path to peace between Russia and Ukraine”.
Other news: the coup attempt in Niger. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issue will be “actively” addressed as Russian diplomacy has called for the “rapid release” of President Mohamed Bazoum, kidnapped by putschist soldiers claiming to have overthrown him.
After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is the third country in the Sahel, a region plagued by insecurity, to experience a coup since 2020.
However, the putschist soldiers who took power in Bamako and Ouagadougou turned to other partners, notably Russia, to the great displeasure of Westerners.
“Redefining Relationships”
In recent days, Russia has tried to reassure on the subject, ensuring that it is ready to export its cereals “free of charge” to countries in need.
In general, “the framework in which Russia and Africa interact has profoundly changed”, he observes: “So, obviously, we must redefine (these) relations”.
Mr Putin spoke on Wednesday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, then with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, touting their joint energy projects.
Thursday, he offered a helicopter to the President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa, present at the summit. “This bird will soon be in our skies,” government spokesman Nick Mangwana said.
In recent years, Russia has sought to strengthen its ties with Africa, in particular through the presence of the paramilitary group Wagner, whose abortive rebellion at the end of June casts doubt on the future of its operations on the continent.
Sign of this interest, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, has already made two tours on the continent since the beginning of the year, trying to attract him to the camp of Moscow, erected as a bulwark once morest the “imperialism” and Western “neocolonialism”.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
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