“The commitment of all our states to the formation of a just and democratic multipolar world order […] has been reaffirmed,” Mr. Putin said during a closing speech, referring to a “common determination to fight against the neocolonialism” and “illegitimate” sanctions. Isolated on the international scene since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, Moscow organized its second Russia-Africa summit on Thursday and Friday, bringing together this year delegations from 49 African countries, including 17 heads of state.
A joint declaration was adopted at the end of this meeting, providing for increased cooperation in the areas of food supply, energy and development aid. It calls for “creating a more just, balanced and sustainable multipolar world order, firmly opposing any form of international confrontation on the African continent”, according to the text published on the Kremlin website. The text also provides that Moscow will help African countries to “obtain reparation for the economic and humanitarian damage caused by Western colonial policies”, including “the return of looted cultural property”. Putin said he was due to discuss the situation in Ukraine with “interested African countries” later that evening. “Representatives of African states have shown political will, demonstrated their independence and genuine interest in developing cooperation with our country,” he said.
According to him, a Russia-Africa summit will now be held every three years and a “partnership and dialogue mechanism” will be created for “security issues”, including for the fight against terrorism, food security and change. climatic. “There is also talk of systematically switching to national currencies, including the ruble, in the financial settlements of trade transactions” between Russia and Africa, he added.
On grain, Putin has promised six African countries free delivery of grain in the coming months, amid concerns over Moscow’s abandonment of the deal on Ukrainian agricultural exports. “Because Western countries are obstructing Russian fertilizer and grain deliveries,” Vladimir Putin said.
Moscow will be able “in the coming months” to deliver up to 50,000 tonnes of grain for free 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”.
Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Friday called on Moscow and Kyiv to find “urgent solutions” on the export of Ukrainian grain to Africa, amid concerns over the end of a major deal. “I stress the importance of finding urgent solutions to provide food and fertilizers, at prices that will help Africa overcome this crisis,” the Egyptian leader said at the Russia-Africa Summit. “I aspire to reach a consensual solution on the grain export agreement, taking into account the demands and interests of all parties, to end the price spike,” he said. more than a week after Moscow abandoned this crucial text for African countries.
As a reminder, Russia left this agreement, which allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain despite the conflict, complaining of obstacles to its own deliveries of agricultural products. In one year, this agreement had allowed the release of nearly 33 million tonnes of grain from Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilize world food prices and avert the risk of shortages.
Another important point: the paramilitary group Wagner. It materializes Russia’s desire to initiate or pursue a rapprochement with Africa, including through the services of the paramilitary group Wagner, presenting itself as a bulwark against “imperialism and Western neocolonialism”. A sign that will not have escaped observers: the photo of Prigojine with an African personality. Posted on Facebook by Dmitri Sytyi, Yevgueni Prigojine’s right-hand man in the Central African Republic, it is supposed to be dated Thursday July 27. It shows Evgueni Prigojine in plain clothes, smiling, shaking hands with a man whom the Financial Times identifies as Freddy Mapouka, chief of protocol for the President of the Central African Republic (CAR). According to Dmitry Sytyi’s comment, the photo was taken on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit. A way of making it understood that on the security aspect in Africa, it was necessary to continue to count with the paramilitaries of Wagner.
