2023 Russia–Africa Summit
Host countryRussia
Date27–28 July 2023
MottoFor peace, security and development
Venue(s)Expoforum
CitiesSaint Petersburg
ParticipantsVladimir Putin
African leaders
FollowsRussia–Africa Summit 2019
WebsiteOfficial website

The second Russia–Africa Summit was held at the Expo Forum in St. Petersburg on 27 and 28 July 2023, following its postponement, having been originally scheduled for October 2022 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[1][2][3]

Attended by 49 delegations,[4] only 17 heads of state participated in the summit, with 43 previously attending in the first summit in 2019.[5][6]

The summit was attended by Yevgeny Prigozhin – leader of Wagner Group at the time – in his first known public appearance in Russia since launching an unsuccessful rebellion. His Wagner mercenaries have supported the interests of the Russian government in several African countries.[7][8]

Putin said that Russia has written off $23 billion of African debt.[9]

Attendees

Delegations participating in the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit
  •   Head of state or government
  •   Ministers or ambassadors

Hosts

Other African countries

Heads of state

Other representatives

Organizations and other attendees

Countries that did not participate

According to several sources, a Nigerien delegation was unable to attend due to an ongoing coup d'état.[58][59][60] William Ruto, president of Kenya, refused to attend the summit and opted for the African Union (AU) to represent Kenya instead, with a spokesperson saying that he wanted to convey the message for the AU "to try and tie down relations with Africa as it gets shunned by the West over its war in Ukraine".[61]

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a disputed state which is a member of the African Union, did not participate due to a lack of diplomatic relations with Russia.[62]

Russian invasion of Ukraine and Black Sea Grain Initiative

On 16 May 2023, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the leaders of African countries came up with a new initiative for peace in Ukraine.[63] In June 2023, a delegation from Africa, including representatives from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Zambia, and Uganda, visited Ukraine and Russia to call for peace.[64] On 17 June 2023, Ramaphosa and other African leaders met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Ramaphosa called on Putin to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[65] but Putin rejected the delegation's peace plan based on accepting Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.[66] According to South African professor William Gumede, of the University of the Witwatersrand, the African peace initiative was treated with "disdain and disrespect" by Putin. Gumede said the visiting African leaders perceived that Kyiv was bombed during their visit to Ukraine "as humiliating... and then in Russia, Putin didn't even bother to listen to the delegation, basically interrupting them before they'd even finished speaking, implying there was no point in discussing anything as the war would continue."[67]

During the Russian-African summit, president Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo urged Putin that the Russian invasion of Ukraine must end and that the African peace plan should not be underestimated.[68][69] Ramaphosa called for peace in Ukraine and expressed concern about food security and rising fertilizer prices.[70] Without specifically mentioning the Russian invasion of Ukraine or any other war, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that the "only justified wars are the just wars, like the anti-colonial wars. Wars of hegemony will fail and waste time and opportunity. Dialogue is the correct way."[71]

Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa voiced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that he and Putin "discussed the need for prosperity through peace as well as how our countries can work together to assure food security across the continent", adding that the "victims of sanctions must cooperate".[72][73] Malian military leader Assimi Goïta and Central African president Faustin-Archange Touadéra, whose countries are increasingly reliant on Wagner Group mercenaries, also expressed support for Russia, with Touadéra saying that Russia "had helped to save its democracy and prevent a civil war", according to Reuters.[74] Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki openly denied the existence of the Russo-Ukrainian War during a meeting with Putin.[75][76]

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other African leaders urged Vladimir Putin to renew the grain deal and allow Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea route.[77][78][79] On 17 July 2023, Putin withdrew from a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea despite a wartime blockade,[80] risking deepening the global food crisis and antagonizing neutral countries in the Global South.[81] Following Putin's withdrawal from the grain deal, Russia launched a series of attacks on the Ukrainian port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv.[82][83] The Kenyan government called Putin's decision to block grain exports from Ukraine "a stab in the back" and said that the resulting rise in global food prices "disproportionately impacts countries in the Horn of Africa already impacted" by the worst drought in four decades.[8][80] Putin offered to send "free supplies of 25,000 to 50,000 tonnes of grain" to six countries to make up for the withdrawal from the previous grain deal. The countries that were to receive free grain included allies of Russia: Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, and Zimbabwe, as well as war torn Somalia.[84]

Summit events

26 July

Dilma Rousseff meeting with President Putin on 26 July

During the sidelines of the summit, Putin held several bilateral meetings, including with Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed, and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing trade, nuclear energy and other topics.[85][86][87]

Putin also talked to Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil and concurrent chairperson of the BRICS New Development Bank.[88]

27 July

A trilateral meeting between Putin and African Union representatives on 27 July

During a plenary session, Putin spoke under a theme of "Technology and Security in the Name of Sovereign Development for the Benefit of Humankind". The session was chaired by Irina Abramova, the director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.[89][90]

Before the plenary session, Putin met with Comorian president Azali Assoumani, also serving as the concurrent Chairperson of the African Union, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.[91] He later met with presidents Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, and Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi.[92][93]

After these meetings, Putin had a working breakfast with the heads of African regional organisations including the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the East African Community, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Economic Community of West African States, and the African Export-Import Bank.[94]

Putin and Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa held a bilateral meeting to discuss Russia–Zimbabwe relations, during which he offered Mnangagwa a helicopter.[73] He also met with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni.[72]

28 July

Azali Assoumali and Vladimir Putin during the conclusion of the summit on 28 July

Many agreements were signed with participating African countries on this date. Leaders from the Comoros, Cameroon, Uganda, Libya, and the Republic of the Congo, alongside African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki, were among representatives giving remarks, with emphasized calls to Putin for an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[95][74] The summit concluded with a final declaration, as well as an official plan for implementing a Partnership Forum for 2023-2026 and a number of other documents.[96]

A bilateral meeting between Putin and Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki was held after the end of the summit.[75]

A confirmed sighting of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in the aftermath of the failed mutiny emerged, showing him meeting with Freddy Mapouka, a presidential advisor in the Central African Republic, and the head of the Cameroonian version of pro-Russian media outlet Afrique Media, at the Trezzini Palace hotel in St. Petersburg during the 2023 Africa-Russia summit.[97]

See also

References

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  2. ↑ Diallo, Mariama (20 July 2023). "Ukraine War Looms Large Over Russia-Africa Summit". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "Rabat and Moscow Discuss Bilateral Ties and Upcoming Russia-Africa Summit – The North Africa Post". The North Africa Post. 20 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Russia-Africa Summit: African leaders arrive in St. Petersburg". Africanews. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Gigova, Radina; Chernova, Anna; Tanno, Sophie; Princewill, Nimi (27 July 2023). "Isolated Putin tries to shore up African support as Kremlin seethes over poor summit turnout". CNN. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Bastmeijer, Joost (27 July 2023). "Oekraïne-oorlog werpt schaduw op Rusland-Afrikatop: de helft van Afrikaanse staatshoofden blijft thuis". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Wagner boss Prigozhin appears on sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg". Financial Times. 27 July 2023.
  8. 1 2 Wolff, Stefan (28 July 2023). "Russia-Africa summit: Putin offers unconvincing giveaways in a desperate bid to make up for killing the Ukraine grain deal". The Conversation.
  9. ↑ "Putin writes-off $23bn to further cozy up with Africa". Business Day. 28 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Comorian president arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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  13. ↑ "Cameroon's leader arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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  26. ↑ "Algerian prime minister arrives in St Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "Angolan delegation arrives in St. Petersburg to take part in Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  28. ↑ "Benin delegation headed by top diplomat arrives at Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  29. ↑ "Prime Minister of Ethiopia arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "Chad's delegation arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  31. ↑ "DRC delegation being headed by defense minister at summit in St. Petersburg". TASS. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "Delegation of Djibouti arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  33. ↑ "Russia and Equatorial Guinea discuss cooperation within OPEC+, exploration". TASS. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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  35. ↑ "Ghanaian delegation arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  36. ↑ "High-ranking Gambian delegation arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  37. ↑ "Senate speaker leads Madagascar delegation to Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  38. ↑ "Deputy Prime Minister of Malawi heads his country's delegation at summit in St. Petersburg". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  39. ↑ "Delegation of Mauritania arrives at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  40. ↑ "Moroccan delegation led by the prime minister arrives for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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  43. ↑ "Somalia's delegation arrives in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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  52. ↑ "Heads of African organizations arrive in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  53. ↑ "Heads of African organizations arrive in St. Petersburg for Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  54. ↑ "Putin holding meeting with head of BRICS New Development Bank". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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  56. ↑ "Russia signs memorandum of cooperation with Central African countries". TASS. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
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  65. ↑ "South Africa's Ramaphosa tells Vladimir Putin to stop war in Ukraine as African delegation arrives in Moscow to plead for peace". Sky News. 18 June 2023.
  66. ↑ "Putin rebuts key elements of African peace plan for Ukraine". Reuters. 18 June 2023.
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  68. ↑ "Congo Republic leader urges end to Russia-Ukraine conflict". Reuters. 28 July 2023.
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  72. 1 2 "Zimbabwe and Uganda leaders meet with Russian President Putin". Africanews. 28 July 2023.
  73. 1 2 "Putin offers Zimbabwe a presidential helicopter". Africanews. Agence France-Presse. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023.
  74. 1 2 "African leaders tell Putin: 'We have a right to call for peace'". Reuters. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  75. 1 2 "Eritrean, Burkina Faso leaders align with Russia, deny Putin's terrorist war". TVP World. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
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  77. ↑ "Russia urged to renew Ukraine grain deal at Africa summit". BBC News. 28 July 2023.
  78. ↑ "African leaders tell Putin: 'We have a right to call for peace'". Reuters. 29 July 2023.
  79. ↑ "Russia seeks to boost ties with Egypt, Algeria at Africa summit". Al-Monitor. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  80. 1 2 "Putin tightens grip on Africa after killing Black Sea grain deal". Politico. 19 July 2023.
  81. ↑ "By pulling out of the Ukrainian grain deal, Russia risks alienating its few remaining partners". AP News. 21 July 2023.
  82. ↑ "Ukraine: Guterres 'strongly condemns' Russian attacks on Odesa and other ports". UN News. 20 July 2023.
  83. ↑ "African Leaders Press Putin on Grain Deal, Ukraine War". VOA News. 28 July 2023.
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  85. ↑ "Putin meets with Ethiopian PM on sidelines of Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  86. ↑ "Egyptian president says all Russia's initiatives on cooperation with Africa welcome". TASS. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  87. ↑ "Ethiopian Prime Minister calls Russia a 'brotherly' nation". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  88. ↑ "Putin holding meeting with head of BRICS New Development Bank". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  89. ↑ "Plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum". Kremlin Presidential Office. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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  91. ↑ "Meeting with Chairperson of the African Union, President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat". Kremlin Presidential Office. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  92. ↑ "Meeting with President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi". Kremlin Presidential Office. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  93. ↑ "Meeting with President of the Republic of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye". Kremlin Presidential Office. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  94. ↑ "Working breakfast with heads of African regional organisations". Kremlin Presidential Office. 27 July 2023.
  95. ↑ "Putin promises grains, debt write-off as Russia seeks Africa allies". Al Jazeera. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  96. ↑ "Putin, African leaders adopt final declaration of Russia-Africa summit". TASS. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
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