On December 19, 2022, the State Museum of the Oriental Art hosted a regular meeting of the Russian-African Club (RusAfro), established in June 2022. The club has united Russian and African diplomats, politicians, public figures, representatives of the business community, science, education and culture. Club activities were aimed at further development of friendly relations between Africa and Russia on the eve of the Second Summit of the “Russia-Africa Partnership Forum”, which is to be held in July, 2023.
Among the participants were representatives of African diasporas, diplomats from African embassies, representatives of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, educational, research and cultural institutions, governmental authorities and public organisations, as well as African students from different Russian universities.
Ilyin I., Dean of the Faculty of Global Processes, from the Moscow State University, spoke about the idea of the Russian-African Club, its management and structure this way: “Any educator, scientist, diplomat, businessman, politician, representative of creative professions, who shares the principles of equitable dialogue between civilizations for the sake of sustainable global development, for the sake of a just world order, for the benefit and prosperity of our countries and all mankind can take part in its work”.
Deputy Chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats, former Ambassador to Africa Egoshkin V. E. expressed confidence that the key to the mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Africa is active work with youth from both sides. There are high expectations of the Youth Movement “Diplomats of the Future”, that its members will not only be from of Russia, but also from CIS countries. They study the languages and cultures of African nations and participate in competitions devoted to the history and culture of the African continent.
Addressing the club, the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to the Russian Federation, Luciano Nkogo Ndong Ayekaba, noted that Africa will never forget what a huge contribution the USSR made to the emergence of statehood and self-sufficiency of the African continent. The ambassador expressed his firm belief that, despite the enormous pressure from the West, Africa will always be with Russia. He added that Africa badly needs Russian entrepreneurs to develop the foreign and domestic market, especially to further strengthen ties with Russia.
Presidents of Ethiopian, Nigerian, Rwandan diasporas in Russia – Kinfu Zenebe Tafesse, Maurice Okole and Tulikunkiko François Xavier –have highlighted the importance of helping and assisting the African graduates who have received their diplomas from Russian universities to find a job in their native countries, which can lead to a significant contribution to strengthening comprehensive ties between Russia and the African continent, so it is important that they have the opportunity for practicing the knowledge they acquired in Russian universities.
Bashir Obasekola, president of the Nigerian diaspora in Europe (NIDO), expressed his belief that all Russian organisations should help Africans learn more about Russia. Peoples of African countries often receive information about Russia through the lens of Western media. Therefore, he considers the most important part of his work to be getting right information to their compatriots in African countries, promoting Russian culture and its scientific achievements. Therefore, Mr.Obasekola believes that members of the African diaspora in Russia should also be invited to the Second Russia-Africa Summit.
The event concluded with David Okpatuma, the youngest member of the Club from Nigeria, a participant in this year’s two major SPIEF and EEF forums. In his speech, he particularly emphasised that Russia, although a superpower, was not involved in the exploitation and colonisation of Africa. He hopes that Russian-African relations will be truly mutually beneficial as they have been in the past.
The meeting of the Russian-African Club ended with a friendly New Year’s Eve fellowship with great spirits and positive plans for the future.
