Africa stands alongside Russia against imperialism

2nd Russia-Africa Summit
Africa stands alongside Russia against imperialism

In St. Petersburg, African nations gather with Vladimir Putin in defiance of brutal US and French rule over the dark continent.

    Published on: 07/31/2023

Source: Causa Operaria
 

The Second Summit of the Africa-Russia Humanitarian Economic Forum took place on the 27th and 28th of July in Saint Petersburg (Russia) – the first edition of the event took place in 2019. The event was extremely popular, only 6 African countries did not participate, something that expresses the broad tendency of the continent's nations to align themselves with Russia as well as China, a clear opposition to imperialism. Among the highlights is the participation of the president of South Africa and Burkina Faso, as well as several other representatives. The Summit is yet another demonstration of the failure of imperialist domination.

The son of the Congolese Prime Minister assassinated during the 1961 coup d'état, Lumumba Jr, set the tone for the event:

“The relationship between Africa and the West is what we have lived: they colonized us, they enslaved us. If we talk about Russia, then it has never colonized any country, and historically we do not have such a sediment. When Africa became independent, Russia, then the USSR, helped many of us”.

It is a very important point for the petty bourgeois left who consider Russia an imperialist country. Here's the reality, Russia in its clash with imperialism, places itself on the side of African nations.

Another figure who stole the spotlight during the Summit was the nationalist president of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore. He took a clear position on the war in Ukraine: “Russia is now carrying out a special operation. I can guarantee that our people will support you. We support your government.” The nation is in confrontation with France, even decreed an ultimatum for French troops to withdraw from the country. He gave another impactful statement about imperialism in Africa: “A slave who does not rebel is not to be pitied. The African Union must stop condemning Africans who decide to fight their own Western puppet regimes.” In his country, an embassy of Russia will open in the country after 30 years.

The interim president of Mali, Assimi Goita, who promotes a process of total expulsion of the French presence in the country, also participated in the Summit. He stated: “Many countries in Africa, especially Mali, are under unprecedented pressure, as is our country. However, we look forward to partnering with Russia. This is our sovereign choice.” He also thanked Putin for his grain policy: “I would like to sincerely thank you for supplying my country with grain. It indicates the solidarity your country has extended to our country as part of your decision to help Mali.” The presence of both Goita and Traore is a challenge to French imperialism, which is increasingly weakened in Africa.

In total, more than 92 agreements were signed between Russia and African countries. It is something that must be understood in its relevance. In the midst of a war between imperialism and Russia, more than 40 nations oppressed by imperialism challenge their tormentors and participate in an event in Russia itself. Africa demonstrates an enormous tendency to struggle for its liberation. Amidst the enormous pressure to isolate Russia, the country is going through an inverse process, gaining more and more popularity, more allies. It is actually isolated only from the imperialist nations, which are still largely dependent on its gas.

Meanwhile, the Summit was the one that raised a big fuss in the imperialist countries, which immediately began a campaign to try to diminish its importance. CBS stated: “Only 17 African heads of state, according to Russia's own count, attended the summit. This is less than half of the 43 leaders who attended the first Russia-Africa summit in 2019.” Omitting that in this event there was the participation of another 6 nations. Other than that, they couldn't find anything else to attack the Dome with. It's a complete failure. Europe and the US have never been able to hold an event with such a large participation of African countries.

This is because there was still pressure from imperialism to reduce participation in the event, as expressed by the president of Zambia, Fred M'membe: “Many people are being discouraged from coming to Russia [by] those who want to dominate the world, those who think that only their way is the only way, the US”. He highlighted that the US has 29 military bases in 15 countries, and France has a presence in 10. In his words: “It is definitely not to protect the African interest. Is it to project its own power… or to further its own interest”

Putin's speech at the opening of the plenary highlighted the leadership of national liberation struggles: “Russia remembers and cherishes the memory of the remarkable sons of Africa. I will name them, friends. We must remember them, and we must never forget them. I will name Patrice Lumumba, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Ben Bella, Omar al-Mukhtar, Kwame Nkrumah, Samora Machel, Leopold Senghor, Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere.” “These ideals of freedom, independence and sovereignty are also very important now in the difficult period of international turmoil, when an official multipolar world order is growing and the era of domination by one country or group of countries is coming to an end.”

Putin's exaltation of the liberation of African countries is a sign that a huge struggle is about to be waged. The multipolar order is not a real path, as imperialism will not allow it. However, clash over the domination of imperialist monopolies is inevitable, and their defeat will come sooner or later. At the present stage, the nations are starting this uprising, but when the world working class starts to move, events like the Russia-Africa Summit, which are impacting today, will be just a detail in the grandiose history of the struggle for the liberation of all mankind.