Is it time for Africa’s leaders to re-engage with Russia on trade?, By Hurso Adam
POLITICS DIGEST– If the answer is yes, then Africa must up its game and demand political and economic transparency from all parties. Reading media reports following the recent Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, 23-24 October 2019, attended by 43 heads of state, one would perhaps believe that nothing has changed.
“Russia Trains Its Propaganda Machine on Africa,” declared the New York Times. “Russia turns on the charm at first Africa Summit” was the Financial Times less provocative headline, with the article detailing the offer of nuclear power plants, fighter jets and missile defence systems to African countries in what it described “a charm offensive to win back influence’ on the continent of Africa. Days after Russia-Africa submit, the world’s biggest military aircraft landed in South Africa, the Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” bomber. It is a rare display of cooperation between the defence forces of the two countries.
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So, does that we in Africa must trade the weapons of war with Russia when it is really peace and prosperity that we want in line with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the continent’s commitment to silencing the guns by 2020. It also appears that Russia is getting Africa to buy more from them like grenades and rocket launchers than vice versa! Weapons procurement is too expensive, and the oligarch and the corrupt African officials are the highest beneficiaries, not the people. The money meant for poverty alleviation and development projects all will budgeted for the purchase of military equipment’s. Though, Nigeria and the countries along the fringes of the Lake Chad needs helping hands to weeds out the Boko Haram insurgents. The West refusal to help Nigeria to procure required military equipment, the reason given was The Leahy report. If Russia can extend it helping hand it is hereby welcome. Accordingly, I like many others, do not support the weaponization of the continent. Russia should go beyond weaponizing Africa.
Well if Putin is to be believed there may well be more than arms and geo-politics on offer. “Let’s drink to the success of our joint efforts to develop full-scale mutually beneficial co-operation, wellbeing, peaceful future and prosperity of our countries and people,” he said in a toast at the formal summit dinner.
The Kremlin confirms that $12.5bn of deals were struck during the first ever summit, however the majority were memorandums of understanding that may not result in investment. So inevitably if the African leaders carry on in the same way – accepting corruption as a way of life in Africa – then nothing will change. Only corrupt countries will engage with us. So, whilst we need to re-engage with Russia, its politicians and business and those from other countries we must do so in a more open and transparent way.
What does Russia have to offer and why should Africa try a new approach? If we examine the evidence of who has invested in Africa for the past decade of investment across the globe in Africa. Will the conclusion be that Russia has invested the most – probably not?
In an interview, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the foreign minister of Djibouti, ticked off countries that he said suffered as a result of misguided Western policies — Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Lebanon.
“Why shouldn’t we try a new approach? A new message?” Mr. Youssouf said. “Maybe Russia is the alternative.” The African leaders should engage our foreign partners for industrial development not weaponization of the continent. And also, unnecessary barrowing must be put in halt. It is not a development to barrow what we cannot pay back in our lifetime and endangered the next generation of Africans with unnecessary debt servicing.
Hurso Adam, Ph.D wrote from Abuja, Nigeria.
