On November 9, 2024, Russia opened the first Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Sochi, seeking to deepen ties with African nations and counter the perception of isolation due to Western sanctions.
Russia hosts African ministers to strengthen ties
The conference attracted 1,500 attendees, including over 40 ministers representing Foreign Affairs, Economy, Health, Digital Development, and Education from across Africa. Nations present include Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, and others.
High-ranking representatives from the African Union and regional integration organizations also participated, alongside business, finance, academic, and media figures from both Russia and Africa. The event featured 19 roundtables covering cooperation in security, economy, skills development, digital governance, healthcare, and diplomatic training.
Russia-Africa : Expanding political and trade relations
Building on the Russia-Africa summit held last summer, the ministerial conference highlights President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to enhancing political and economic relations with Africa. Anton Kobyakov, an advisor to Putin, noted that this two-day ministerial conference, involving government leaders and business figures from both Russia and Africa, will continue in this format periodically.
Kobyakov stated, « We have established intergovernmental bilateral commissions on trade, economic, and scientific-technical cooperation with numerous African countries ». He added, «This event strengthens our agreements and marks a historic new chapter in modern history ».
« Strengthening economic ties with Russia and with nations within the ‘majority world’ can drastically shift the economic and political balance with Western nations to Africans’ advantage. The next decade will see fierce competition over Africa as nations confront the legacy of colonialism », Kobyakov emphasized.
Situation of the ESA countries with Russia
Several African governments have begun pivoting from traditional Western allies to Russia for support. At the conference, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, stated that Russia is a more fitting international partner than former colonial power France.
This sentiment was echoed by Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, who contrasted the Kremlin’s « sincere » partnership with the « neo-colonial » relationships maintained by Western powers. Besides military collaboration, Mali is exploring joint projects with Russia in the energy, telecommunications, technology, and mining sectors.
Russian companies are actively collaborating with Sahelian governments and private partners across these areas to deliver solutions to pressing local challenges, with both sides committed to accelerating efforts for rapid outcomes.
Russia’s support for nuclear development in Africa
Rwanda, a country maintaining close ties with the UK and the West, is among the African nations that have signed agreements with Moscow to support nuclear power development.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, attending the conference in Sochi, mentioned to AFP that hundreds of Rwandan students have graduated from Russian universities, including those specializing in nuclear sciences. « We aim to train several highly specialized scientific professionals in this area », he added.
