The Third Russia-Africa Summit displayed a strong and organic partnership and convergence of viewpoints from both sides. Meanwhile, agents of colonialism, whose predecessors plunged Africa into poverty to attain wealth and prestige for the West, got rattled.
The Third Africa-Russia Summit
Africans’ interaction with Western European powers since the 15th century saw these powers mete out slavery, the slave trade, plunder, and colonialism, all of which epitomize greed over humanity. It was okay for Western European kings, aristocrats, military generals, and merchants to have thousands or millions of Africans killed or enslaved so long as these Western Europeans could gain gold, diamonds, ivory, or spices. Russia’s actions during and after the Battle of Adwa and the USSR’s actions in assisting Africans to fight Western colonialism cannot be overstated. Such actions have won Africans’ trust and can form a firm foundation for future cooperation between both sides.
A Moment of Recollection
During the Summit, African speakers reminisced about recent events when Russia or the former USSR helped Africans. For instance, John Dramani Mahama, the president of Ghana, recalled how the USSR provided his country with a nuclear research reactor in 1964, which reveals Russia’s attitude of using its nuclear technology to uplift, contrasting with the US, which even today threatens to use Nuclear weapons on non-nuclear countries to advance parochial interests. Mahama was among the many Africans who studied in the USSR to gain skills that were applied in governance and development. The Kenyan president, William Ruto, reminded the audience how the Soviet Union assisted African liberation movements, and later equipped Africans with education and scientific knowledge needed for development. Similar sentiments were aired by the president of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Mbasogo, who described Soviet support for Africa’s liberation movements as “resolute”. Many speakers noted that Russian-African relations today can be used to expand Africans’ political emancipation into the economy, by leveraging Russia’s technological and financial prowess, the resource capabilities of both sides, and Africa’s human resources.
There is a broad consensus in Africa today about the need to steer the continent into economic sufficiency, resilience, and wealth creation. Equally, parties recognize that colonial and neocolonial structures implemented by the US and Western Europe in Africa cannot be defeated with the help of those who benefit from them. Therefore, some African countries are looking for alternative security and economic solutions away from the West, and relying on Russia’s assistance to control security instability maintained by neocolonial forces. Central African Republic president Faustin Archange Touadéra recalled how Russia provided technology, defense and security assistance to help his country weather difficult periods in history. Similarly, some countries in the Sahel have chosen to use Russian equipment and military assistance to defeat the terrorism problem, which has been festering in their region despite decades of Western military presence purportedly designed to defeat terrorism. In addition to these security solutions, African states are warming up to economic partnership with Russia.
Africans are advancing the idea that a time has come for industrialization, in which countries add value to their raw materials at home, retain more value, and attain development. However, Africa has faced a lack of technology as the key challenge, resulting from restrictions by former colonial masters who maintain technological imbalance to protect ill-gotten power. The second challenge that Africa faces is insufficient energy due to, among other factors, supply shocks repeatedly created by Western policies in international energy markets. Lack of investment has been the third reason restricting Africa’s development of energy generation and distribution. Russia’s partnerships with Africa can help overcome some of these challenges and enable the continent to escape economic neocolonialism. Therefore, African leaders invited Russian companies to transfer technologies and expertise for value addition and energy generation.
Leave Africa to “Finders”- Agents of Colonialism
Forces that have benefited from colonizing Africa and stealing its resources have been trying to push back against growing Russia-Africa cooperation. For instance, Reuters published a headline: “Putin woos African leaders, says Russia a better partner than ‘colonial’ West. Using quotes around the word “colonial ” was interesting because the media understand well that Western European powers and the US colonized countries across the Global South, extracted resources, and created an economic model to sustain neocolonialism in perpetuity. Others, like Al Jazeera, headlined “Russia is selling Africa dependence disguised as partnership”. At least the latter admits that Russia is selling and not enforcing dependence at the barrel of a gunboat, or through the machinations of colonial officers. Agents of neocolonialism oppose any cooperation that Russia develops with Africa, trying to enforce an exclusive right to relate with Africa as colonial “finders,” which is untenable.
A few generations ago, let’s say 1890s, a European warship carrying naval officers, agents of corporations, Christian missionaries, pillagers, vagabonds, and a good measure of rejects of European societies would arrive at an African shore, carve out a territory for themselves, and declare it a protectorate. In the case of the British, the said protectorate would (in theory) keep its local government while Britain managed its “defense, foreign policy, and international relations”. A resident of East Africa observing this would immediately be alarmed and draw parallels with Portuguese’ actions 400 years earlier. In the 1490s, the Portuguese arrived and imposed their will at the barrel of a cannon, and proceeded to loot and sack before establishing a government that violated locals for European profits and comfort. The British in the late 19th century would surprisingly do as the Portuguese had done before, or as the Dutch, Spaniards, French, and Americans did in other places in the Global South. The protectorates evolved into British colonies for London to extract raw materials, exploit labour, commit genocides, and cultivate puppet leaders for future use. A similar case happened for Africans, Asians, and South Americans who found themselves under Western colonialism and patronage. Neocolonialism and extraction continued even after independence, but times have changed. The West has no claim to preferential partnership with African nations, and only Africa can choose its development partners.
Simon Chege Ndiritu is a political observer and research analyst from Africa
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