A foreign affairs analyst, Weneda Weli has warned African leaders not to mistake Russia for their friends.
Weli who gave the warning in reaction to the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov visit to some African nations to court their friendship as well as rally support amid anger over the war in Ukraine, said Russia has shown that they are not friends by blocking Ukraine grain export toAfrica, thereby causing artificial hunger and famine.
“Make no mistake about your relationship with Russia. They are not our friends.
“Since its invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February, Russia is battling with crippling economic sanctions from the Western countries led by US.
“Unable to achieve its military goal in Ukraine and having suffered heavily in human and material resources, Russia is struggling to escape global isolation and as such has turned to Africa for friendship in order to remain relevant in international politics. But who needs Russia’s friendship? And who’s really a friend?
“According to late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a friend is someone who watches your back; who’s there for you in good time and bad time and who’s ready to sacrifice for you. For him, any friend who represents the opposite of all these, is not fit or worthy to be called a friend but an enemy. Abiola however dismissed a man who mistakenly called himself a friend in this simple statement: “You called yourself my friend yet you weren’t there for me in my difficult times… with a friend like you, I don’t think anybody needs an enemy.”
“This is how to describe Russia. You block Ukraine grain exports to Africa thereby causing artificial hunger and famine, yet you call yourself Africa’s friend? You massacre innocent men, women and children in Ukraine in the name of war, yet you call yourself Africa’s friend? Please, Africans don’t need a friend like you. Look for friendship elsewhere not among the black race”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the Russia’s Foreign Minister has dismissed claims that Moscow caused the global food crisis.
In a speech to Arab League ambassadors in Cairo, Egypt, he said Western nations were distorting the truth about the impact of sanctions on global food security.
He accused Western nations of trying to impose their dominance over others.
Much of the Arab world and Africa is badly affected by grain shortages caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Mr Lavrov is on a brief tour to Africa nations including; Ethiopia, Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville.
The tour is aimed at deepening cooperation between Russia and African states.
