The Chinese approach is part of a major geopolitical competition on the African continent
Africa.. From warnings of famine due to war to the focus of international attention
Guinea-Bissau President Umaru Chisoko Embalo receives Emmanuel Macron in Bissau recently.
AFP
Lavrov with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during the African tour.
Reuters
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Day after day, the scope of the Russian-Western conflict is expanding and taking on dimensions that go beyond the Ukrainian lands with all the dialogue it is witnessing that knows only the language of weapons.
After the two sides exchanged pressure cards that varied between US-Western sanctions of all kinds against Russia on the one hand, and Moscow's use of the energy and food file, on the other hand, the war is pushing them to search for new battlefields, and it seems that they found what they wanted in Africa, direct their compass towards the brown continent.
Simultaneous tours by officials from both sides highlight the efforts of both to attract this bloc in a move that recalls the atmosphere of the two world wars.
Lavrov tour
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a four-station African tour that included Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia, with the aim of mobilizing support for his country to strengthen its position in light of the unprecedented Western sanctions imposed on it due to its war against Ukraine.
At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron's tour, which included Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau, came at a time when the influence of France, the former colonial power on the continent, was declining, especially in the economic and commercial sectors.
Meanwhile, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, who traveled, toured Egypt and Ethiopia, and of course the main driver behind this momentum was the repercussions of the Russian war on Ukraine in the first place.
It is worth noting that the African Union has adhered to a neutral stance towards the crisis since the outbreak of the war in late February.
In March, 17 African countries abstained from voting on a UN resolution condemning Russia for the war.
It is known that several countries in the African continent depend on wheat exports from Russia and Ukraine.
In turn, the British newspaper "The Guardian" pointed out that Lavrov's tour came with the aim of wooing Africa with the war in Ukraine entering its sixth month, noting the refusal of many African leaders to condemn the Russian "invasion", accusing the United States and NATO (NATO) of starting the conflict or prolong it.
The newspaper sheds light on the suffering of hundreds of millions of people on the continent due to the high food prices, and many facing severe shortages in some of the goods that were coming to them from Russia and Ukraine, in light of the presence of tens of millions of tons of grain trapped in Ukrainian ports, which exacerbates the current supply chain problems. Significantly.
The Guardian noted that Lavrov came to Africa with the aim of persuading its leaders, as well as forming a public opinion among the peoples of the continent, that Moscow cannot be blamed, whether in the conflict or the food crisis.
Lavrov praised what he described as the "independent path" of African countries by refusing to join the ranks of Western sanctions against Russia and the "hidden attempts of the United States and its European followers to impose a unipolar world order."
For its part, the American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” saw that food “has become (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s new strategic weapon,” noting that “with his forces able to control Ukrainian grain exports, the Russian leader has found a new way to exercise his influence in all parts of the world.” around the world".
Although the invasion united the West to support Ukraine, Russia used its influence on food exports to divide the international community, expanding its influence over the developing economies of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, dividing the world in ways not seen since the Cold War.
Kremlin goals
The newspaper quoted Western analysts and officials as saying that "the Kremlin's goals are to use food concerns as a way to ease sanctions, obtain concessions from ceasefire negotiations, and build commercial leverage."
For years, the Russian president has used energy as a weapon, using oil and natural gas to regain the influence he lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
And now with food, Russia is adding another share to its strategic package.
Russian officials did not hesitate to flaunt their growing power in this field, even if they denied using it against other countries.
The newspaper raised the concerns of US diplomats about the effectiveness of "Russia's geopolitical strategy," noting that African and Middle Eastern leaders emphasized close relations with Russia in recent weeks, "a shift from the days immediately following the invasion."
The newspaper quoted Caitlin Welch, a former official specializing in food at the US State Department, as saying that “it is possible that countries in North Africa and the Middle East will depend on Russia if it cannot obtain its imports from Ukraine, because it simply wants its political and social stability.”
power struggle
The struggle for influence in Africa was not limited to Russia and the West, where China has been trying for some time to establish its presence in the continent as well.
In this regard, the American newspaper "New York Times" said that "as its relations with the United States and Europe deteriorate, China is doubling its diplomatic efforts throughout Africa, funding projects and encouraging governments to repeat its model," which the newspaper described as "authoritarian."
The newspaper added that China already dominates trade with resource-rich countries on the African continent, noting the presence of its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, "and it is now more closely integrating financial and diplomatic efforts, offering to mediate civil conflicts that cause devastating famine, and most importantly, It points to a new strategy to settle billions of dollars in delinquent Chinese loans.”
The newspaper considered that the Chinese approach is part of a major geopolitical competition between Beijing and Washington, which intensified with the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Trade volume between China and Africa exceeded $250 billion in 2021, compared to $64.33 billion between the United States and Africa.
Observers believe that, paradoxically, Africa, the worst affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war, and which has recently been reported about the dangers of starvation, has turned into a focus of multipolar international attention.
The British newspaper, The Guardian, pointed out that Lavrov’s tour came with the aim of wooing Africa with the war in Ukraine entering its sixth month, as many African leaders refused to condemn the Russian “invasion” and accused the United States and NATO of starting or prolonging the conflict. .
Although the Russian war united the West to support Ukraine, Russia used its influence over food exports to divide the international community, expanding its influence over the developing economies of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, dividing the world in ways not seen since the Cold War.
The struggle for influence in Africa was not limited to Russia and the West, where China has been trying for some time to establish its presence in the continent as well.
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