Russia is preparing to host the leaders of African countries in St. Petersburg on July 26 for the second "Russia-Africa" summit. Initially, the summit was planned to last not 2 but 4 days, from July 26 to July 29. However, in the last month, the organizers decided to shorten the duration. The list of guests who applied to participate, as of July 14, two weeks before the summit, turned out to be significantly smaller than expected. In contrast to 2019, only half as many representatives expressed their desire to attend the summit in the country deemed a "terrorist state" by Russia in 2023. Several new factors influenced this decision, including the failed peacekeeping trip of the leaders of seven African countries to Moscow a month ago and Russia's withdrawal from the "grain deal," which allowed Ukrainian agricultural products to be delivered to needy countries, including Africa. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, African countries interacted with Russia in a "usual manner," either refraining from condemning Russian aggression or expressing explicit solidarity with Ukraine. However, more than half of all African states sided with the West in condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine during the voting in the United Nations General Assembly in March and October 2022.
The first similar summit took place in Sochi in 2019, where over 6000 guests attended, including more than 1100 representatives of foreign businesses and about 1900 representatives of foreign delegations. The event was attended by official representatives from 54 African countries, with 45 being heads of states and governments. The summit's slogan was "For peace, security, and development," and it was held under entirely different circumstances - Russia had not yet launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian food exports were not blocked by Russian warships, and Vladimir Putin was not facing arrest following an order issued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, including the unlawful deportation and relocation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
Russia is attempting to scale its influence in African countries, using both political pressure and Russian armed forces, to promote its own interests and extract resources. In this context, particular mention can be made of the longstanding activities of the Wagner Group mercenaries and Russian military intelligence personnel on the African continent, collaborating with dictators who willingly cooperate in enriching the Russian elites.
From the very beginning of the summit program, everything falls into place. The Russians emphasize that they are interested in diamond mining under the guidance of the Russian monopolist "Alrosa." For them, this is the "economy of the new world," which reads as the "new world order." Diamonds and other valuable minerals can be cheaply extracted from Africa and sold at high prices. Additionally, easily manipulated African leaders who will vote in the UN as Moscow pleases are Putin's main goals. And, of course, Russian propaganda is not forgotten, placed in a separate section of the program and presented as Russia's experience in creating "sovereign media."
As it is with any thief who wants to divert attention from their criminal actions, they will shout "catch the thief" the loudest. That's why Russia, which itself pursues neocolonial policies towards Africa, dedicates an entire summit panel to the theme of the "new world order," playing on historical contexts. However, Moscow's words always diverge from its actions when it comes to a "just world." Moscow instigates wars and occupies neighboring countries' lands. Russian rhetoric uses the term "historical Russian territories" to justify imperial wars. What is this, if not true neocolonialism? African leaders can look at the war in Ukraine to understand Moscow's true intentions regarding their territories. For Moscow, the new world order means not sovereign development and mutually beneficial economic partnership, but instead occupation, corruption, looting, and the use of terror and military force to enforce vassal dependency.
The fact of military aggression and numerous civilian casualties is shocking to Europeans, but unfortunately, much more familiar to Africans. However, violations of sovereignty, the principle of inviolability of state borders and territorial integrity are very sensitive issues for the African political mentality. They are unacceptable and lie outside any zone of tolerance. The transparency of mechanisms for international aid to Ukraine, the way Ukraine independently conducts military actions, substantiate its international subjectivity. Ukraine is a country that fights against neocolonialism, defending its sovereignty, eradicating the last colonial practices in modern history, and undermining the possibility of Russia's newest neocolonialism in Africa.
Source: oglavnom.top
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