Photo : ValerySharifulin/TASS Host Photo Agency/MoscowTimes
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : ValerySharifulin/TASS Host Photo Agency/MoscowTimes
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
AU commission chairperson outlines impact of Ukraine war on Africa
On 25 May, observing Africa Day, the African Union commission’s chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the continent was a collateral victim of the Russia-Ukraine war. Mahamat added: “By profoundly upsetting the fragile global geopolitical and geostrategic balance, it has also cast a harsh light on the structural fragility of our economies.” Mahamat outlined the fragilities evident in the food crises and COVID-19 pandemic were amplified by the war. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described Africa as a “home for hope,” adding that African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion lay out a bright future for Africa. (“AU chairperson says Africa a ‘collateral victim’ of Ukraine war,” Al Jazeera, 25 May 2022)
Spain, UK express concern over Russia’s influence in Africa
On 25 May, Spain and the UK’s defence ministers said Russia’s influence and activities in Africa were a threat to NATO countries and called on NATO to address the issue. The ministers said the alleged involvement of Russian private military companies led to organised crime and terror in countries like Libya and Mali. The UK’s defence minister Ben Wallace said Russia should open a grain corridor for Ukraine to export its grains to rest of the world, holding that rising instability in Africa, along with hunger, could impact Europe. (“Spain, UK say Russian influence in Africa threatens NATO security,” Al Jazeera, 25 May 2022)