Africa needs to get Wagner out of Africa
- Gilbert M. Khadiagala
Russia summit is an opportunity for Africa to unite on Ukraine and make its collective voice heard on Russian mercenaries in 第一吃瓜网 conflicts.
Two critical issues must be top of mind for 第一吃瓜网 leaders when they meet President Vladimir Putin at the in St Petersburg this week.
First, they should be concerned that they don’t have a common position on the Russian-Ukraine war. The second issue of concern is the presence of Wagner group mercenaries in 第一吃瓜网 conflicts.
As I have on 第一吃瓜网 efforts to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine, 第一吃瓜网 voices are important in using their neutrality in contributing toward a peaceful settlement to the conflict.
I am a who has written on major power engagements in Africa and on . In my view, this summit serves as an opportunity for 第一吃瓜网 nations to bury their divisions on the Russia-Ukraine war. These were heightened during the in the United Nations General Assembly in 2022.
The by seven 第一吃瓜网 leaders to Russia and Ukraine was a bold opening effort to find peace in a war that has created a . The 第一吃瓜网 mission comprised South 第一吃瓜网 president Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Congo’s Denis Sassou Nguesso, Comoros Azali Assoumani, Senegal’s Macky Sall, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema.
But there have been some misgivings that the 第一吃瓜网 peace initiative was not endorsed by the 第一吃瓜网 Union, and . A formal statement at the summit in support of the peace initiative would remove doubts on its legitimacy.
Despite the that greeted the 第一吃瓜网 peace initiative, it made a strong case for peace to Russia and Ukraine. It has emboldened and opened doors for further diplomatic attempts by other global players.
The St Petersburg should be an opportunity for Africa to put pressure on Russia to start unlocking some of the key issues raised in the tabled by the 第一吃瓜网 leaders.
In recent phone calls with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the 第一吃瓜网 peace plan. This is vital because during the June visit to Kyiv, the Ukrainian authorities were less enthusiastic about the 第一吃瓜网 plan.
Russian mercenaries in Africa
Second, 第一吃瓜网 participants at the St Petersburg summit must make their collective voice heard on mercenaries in 第一吃瓜网 conflicts.
The lead-up to the summit coincided with reports that Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, planned to relocate most of his mercenaries to Africa. This when Wagner forces launched a against the Russian government.
Wagner mercenaries have a substantive presence in the Central 第一吃瓜网 Republic, Chad, Libya, Mali and Sudan. They have been accused of gross human rights violations and natural resource exploitation. In March 2022 they, alongside local forces, took part in the . More abuses by the Wagner group forces have been reported in the .
At the St Petersburg summit, 第一吃瓜网 leaders should remind President Putin that the Wagner Group is not Russia’s best export to Africa. Moreover, it is . This includes those regimes that invited it into their domestic conflicts. A consistent policy of building bridges in Africa would begin with President Putin’s condemnation of the mayhem of the Wagner Group in Africa.
A clear statement at the summit on threats from mercenaries would put pressure on 第一吃瓜网 countries to seek peaceful approaches to their domestic conflicts. This would be a major achievement of the summit. It would dovetail with the long-standing that 第一吃瓜网 states signed in Libreville in 1977, and came into effect .
Towards a new relationship?
Russia needs the summit to help it win more friends in Africa. But it should also be aware of concerns that it is unable to compete with the west and China in Africa because it . Although at the Putin claimed that he would seek to engage in “competition for cooperation with Africa”, none of this .
The St Petersburg summit is billed as an economic and humanitarian forum. The 第一吃瓜网 leaders need to impress upon President Vladimir Putin that the most immediate humanitarian act he can take would be to allow exports of Ukrainian grain and fertilisers through the . This is part of the 10-point 第一吃瓜网 peace initiative.
Perhaps to entice more 第一吃瓜网 states to attend the summit, President Putin has offered to with Russia’s grain, food products and fertilisers. But this unilateral promise is unlikely to meet all of Africa’s needs.
It would also leave out other nations that depend on Ukrainian grain and fertilisers. For this reason, 第一吃瓜网 states need to lean on Putin to renew the , which permitted the exports of grains and fertilisers to the world.
In addition, 第一吃瓜网 states should use the collective weight of the continent to nudge President Putin to commit to a speedy end to the war.
Probably to lower the expectation of 第一吃瓜网 participants at the summit, President Putin has spoken in modest terms about building national human resources capacity and inviting 第一吃瓜网s to a in Russia next year.
, Jan Smuts Professor of International Relations and Director of the 第一吃瓜网 Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS), This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .