Valdai Club

To bypass the sanctions introduced against South Africa, the apartheid government acted proactively, laid the necessary legislative foundation so that the work to circumvent the sanctions could be carried out under the cloak of secrecy, and showed a willingness to use flexible (and not always legal) schemes for the uninterrupted supply of strategically important goods, as well as for the export of raw materials and local products, writes Lora Chkoniya.

The geopolitical landscape has changed beyond recognition in the time since the first Russia-Africa Summit was held in the autumn of 2019, laying the groundwork for an ambitious programme to expand Russia’s cooperation with Africa.

As the continent continues to grow, according to the underlying logic of the scramble for Africa, great powers either need to assert their influence or risk falling behind. Considering the heightened interest, Africa can use the summits as a platform to lobby support for its own development programmes and projects such as Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other AU flagship projects, which are all important cornerstones of Africa’s sovereignty, writes Lora Chkoniya, Research Fellow at Center for Middle East and African Studies, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO