Valdai Club

Given that the adoption of the decisions of the Second Russia-Africa Summit was accompanied by the development of a mechanism for their implementation, and in light of the high professional level of the leaders and employees of the Russian Foreign Ministry who were called upon to coordinate it, there is every reason to believe that these decisions will be implemented, and that Russia’s cooperation with African countries in many areas will yield new prospects, writes Vladimir Shubin.

Russia and Africa need each other. Moscow always remembers that the 54 African states represent a strong electoral bloc within the UN and other international organisations. Russians, like Africans, value their independence and resist foreign pressure; they value the growing role of Africa in the international arena.

The meeting between the Russian and South African presidents at the recent BRICS summit in Johannesburg was particularly valuable marking the birth of a new stage in bilateral relations. The course for all-out cooperation was sealed by the signing of a Joint Statement.

Late in the evening of February 14, 2018, South African President Jacob Zuma publicly announced his resignation. This step was preceded by dramatic events – a conflict within the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), between his supporters and opponents, caused primarily by corruption scandals related directly to Zuma.

For many years, the West, including the United States and the EU states, especially the former colonial power United Kingdom aimed to “change the regime” in Zimbabwe, applying sanctions and waging a constant information war, which, of course, could not but affect negatively the situation in this country. But it seems that the current events were caused, first of all, by internal struggle and, moreover, by subjective factors.

On June 26, South Africa marked the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter that became an action program for all South African anti-racism forces. Approved by 3,000 delegates to the Congress of the People, who arrived from all regions of the country, this document was a response to the National Party’s apartheid policies.