Vulnerable African states continue to cut deals with sanctioned Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his delegates meets with African presidents at the second Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 28, 2023. PHOTO | AFP
African countries emerged from the second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg with a mixed bag of goodies. For the vulnerable ones such as Somalia, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali and the Central African Republic, 50,000 tonnes of free grain will be hitting their shores soon.
Overall, Russia says it is forgiving more than $20 billion worth of debt owed by African countries, including Ethiopia ($5.7 billion), Libya ($4.5 billion), Angola ($3.5 billion), and Somalia ($684 million).
