Under pressure from the worsening internal crises

African governments distance themselves from the conflict between the West and Russia

• Moscow has strengthened its relations with Africa in recent years.

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• Schulz tried to gain the support of the Ifri on his last visit.

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Some 36 African countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for at least 50 percent of their wheat imports, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Russian war on Ukraine added to the previously severe pressures on the global food supply;

Droughts in France, the United States, India and the Horn of Africa contributed to the decline in yields;

The continuing effects of work and travel restrictions linked to the pandemic continue to contribute to the crisis.

The rising costs of energy and fertilizers exacerbate the bleak picture of high food prices.

blaming

As expected, Moscow blamed Western sanctions for the global food crisis.

Others accuse the Kremlin, too, of shedding crocodile tears in its dispute with the West over who is to blame.

But there is now growing frustration among African and Middle Eastern governments, having been caught in the crossfire and pressured to take sides.

As the International Crisis Group has made clear, at such a time of great volatility, countries have their own immediate and serious economic, political and humanitarian crises.

Across the region and within countries mired in civil war, political players mostly avoid overt alignment with the Russian or Ukrainian/Western side, and for the time being prefer to hedge,” the group's report noted.

abstention from voting

Back in March, 17 African countries joined 18 others in abstaining from voting at the United Nations General Assembly deploring “Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

Perhaps the number of African countries that abstained would have been higher, had it not been for Western diplomatic pressure behind the scenes and the benefit of close relations, which confirmed that most African countries - 28 out of 54 - supported the resolution, according to some observers.

Among those abstaining was Senegal, an African country friendly to the West.

Its president, Macky Sall, warned European leaders last week that the food crisis is worrying and that Russia's narrative of who is to blame could gain traction in Africa.

A few days ago, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was visiting the country, Sall warned that Africans "don't want to be on the side of this conflict, and obviously we want peace," adding, "Despite our condemnation of the invasion, However, we are working for a de-escalation, and we are working for a ceasefire, and for dialogue;

This is the African position.

The Kremlin has revived its relations with African countries, over the past years, and strengthened economic and military cooperation, especially with countries that previously enjoyed close relations with the Soviet Union, which supported socialist movements and national liberation struggles across Africa.

gain momentum

In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the first Russia-Africa summit of political and business leaders, an event that Kremlin officials have sought to promote as an affirmation of Russia's return to the continent.

The security expertise on display to date has included Russian military contractors and disinformation specialists who help support failed, corrupt, or authoritarian governments.

Seeking to cast doubt on the West's tactics and goals for the continent, he is now promoting Russia's narrative of the war in Ukraine to gain some traction.

For many African leaders, the food crisis is an example of how Western powers treat the continent, paying attention to it when they want or need something, and otherwise ignoring it, expecting Africa to see the world through Europe's eyes.

While Russia's violation of global norms has shocked many in Africa, they worry about their immediate needs as the continent suffers from famine, war and conflict.

Diplomats from Africa and the Middle East complain that their European counterparts at the United Nations and elsewhere are diverting discussions to Ukraine, because they are preoccupied with events in Europe.

As Western powers pledge funds to support Ukraine, securing foreign aid has become more difficult for the continent, where a comprehensive food crisis may lead to higher casualties than the crisis in Ukraine.

crop decline

Countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya are also vulnerable.

The same applies to Nigeria, where the prices of basic foodstuffs are beyond the reach of ordinary families.

There is a shortage of basic feed ingredients for livestock, such as corn, due to low yields.

The high cost of minerals and vitamins used in poultry production leads to an increase in the prices of eggs and chickens.

Western leaders are now trying to shed light on the similarities between Ukraine's struggle to be the master of its own destiny, away from the intervention of an imperialist power, on the one hand, and the struggles of African and Asian countries to escape colonialism, on the other.

Meanwhile, Western leaders have confirmed that foodstuffs, fertilizers and seeds are exempt from sanctions imposed on Russia.

But unless the West comes up with quick, practical blueprints to help alleviate the famine and hunger exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, some leaders (in Europe) are now conceding that their attempts to persuade African governments of the Western narrative of current events are largely in jeopardy.

17

An African country abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly, in favor of a resolution condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

50%

Of wheat imports in 36 countries come from Russia and Ukraine.

Across the region and within countries mired in civil war, political players mostly avoid overt alignment with the Russian or Ukrainian/Western side, and for the time being prefer to hedge.

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