'New Cold War': Russia with every one other accompanied by West vie for effect inside Africa

'New Cold War': Russia accompanied by every one one other accompanied by West vie for effect inside Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Russian, French accompanied by every one one other accompanied by American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to go nearer earliest inside support for their positions on the war inside Ukraine, waging what some speak is the most great competition for effect on the mainland since the Cold War.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accompanied by every one one other accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron are every one one visiting some African countries this week. Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, went to Kenya accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Somalia last week. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will go to Ghana accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Uganda following week.

"It's exist fond of a new Cold War is playing not here inside Africa, where the competitor sides are trying to gain influence," said William Gumede, director of Democracy Works, a footing promoting good governance.

Lavrov, inside his travels across the drought- accompanied by every one one other accompanied by hunger-stricken continent, has sought to portray the West while the villain, blaming it for rising food prices, while the Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food while a weapon accompanied by every one one other accompanied by waging an imperial-style war of conquest — words calculated to appeal to listeners inside post-colonial Africa.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has been employed to go nearer earliest inside support inside Africa for some years, reinvigorating friendships that day spine a half-century, when the Soviet Union backed numerous African movements fighting to extremity colonial rule.

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"Now that military operation has gone into high gear," Gumede said.

Moscow's effect inside Africa was on display inside March all over the U.N. ballot to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While 28 African nations voted inside good turn of the resolution, a significant minority of countries on the mainland — 25 — either voted to abstain or did not ballot at all.

Russia's top diplomat this week visited Egypt, Congo, Uganda accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Ethiopia, pledging link accompanied by every one one other accompanied by charging the U.S. accompanied by every one one other accompanied by European countries accompanied by driving up food prices by pursuing "reckless" environmental policies. He excessively accused them of hoarding food all over the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The circumstances inside Ukraine did additionally negatively affect food markets, nevertheless not due to the Russian exceptional operation, by preference due to the completely inadequate response of the West, which announced sanctions," Lavrov said inside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

Lavrov was warmly received inside Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni, who for years has been a U.S. associate nevertheless has refused to find fault accompanied by Russia over the invasion. Museveni flat suggested at the outbreak of the war that Putin's actions ability exist understandable since Ukraine is inside Russia's sphere of influence.

Lavrov voiced support for improve of the U.N. Security Council to inside attendance accompanied by African countries permanent seats accompanied by every one one other accompanied by greater influence.

Appearing accompanied by Lavrov, the Ugandan leader spoke fondly of elderly ties accompanied by Russia, asking how he could spurn Moscow when he has good relations accompanied by countries that participated inside slavery.

Museveni, an opinion leader on the mainland who has held ability for trio decades, is an understandable selection for Russia while someone to build strong ties with, said Ugandan political analyst Asuman Bisiika.

"Uganda is the center of gravity inside East Africa," Bisiika said.

Museveni, 77, has been strictly wearing a disguise inside condition since the COVID-19 outbreak. But he did not have one on when greeting Lavrov inside front of photographers, apparently wanting to show warmth to the Russian. Museveni had a disguise spine on inside his following condition appearance a day later.

Russia is excessively courting African condition opinion into with every one other accompanied by not here of its condition television network, RT, formerly known while Russia Today. RT has announced that it will not shut a new bureau inside Johannesburg.

RT was abruptly removed from Africa's biggest pay-TV platform inside Africa, Johannesburg-based Multichoice, inside March following the European Union accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Britain imposed sanctions opposed to Russia. It is not understandable whether establishing the new bureau will authorize RT to resume broadcasts to Africa into with every one other accompanied by not here of Multichoice, which claims almost 22 million subscribers on the continent.

"For Russia, it is the battle to exist heard inside Africa. It is not important for the real war try nevertheless for their long-term political influence," Anton Harber, professor of journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand inside South Africa. "They see it while fertile ground to cultivate their influence, and, of course, votes inside the U.N. are important."

On his tour of Africa, France's Macron accused the Kremlin of using TV channels exist fond of RT to spread propaganda inside support of the war. And he charged the Kremlin accompanied by blackmailing the world by thwarting the sell overseas of cereal from Ukraine.

"They are blackmailing since they are the ones who blocked cereals inside Ukraine. They are the ones who jurisdiction their cereals," he said inside Benin. His itinerary excessively included Cameroon accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Guinea-Bissau.

Macron appealed to Africans to side opposed to Russia.

"I'm telling you here inside Africa, a mainland that has suffered from colonial imperialism: Russia is one of the last colonial, imperial powers. She decides to invade a neighboring country to retain protected from danger her interests," he said. "That's the reality."

Power, the top U.S. AID official, was inside East Africa to pledge assistance to assist the region's fight opposed to hunger amid a devastating multi-year drought. She did not clasp spine inside criticizing Russia.

"By blockading Ukraine's cereal exports accompanied by every one one other accompanied by restricting the commerce of Russia's own fertilizer, Putin's actions have had the consequence of inflicting suffering on the people of Kenya accompanied by every one one other accompanied by on other countries all over the world," Power said inside Nairobi. "He is hurting the people of Kenya inside order to good his own situation."

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AP journalist Rodney Muhumuza inside Kampala, Uganda, contributed.

'New Cold War': Russia accompanied by every one one other accompanied by West vie for effect inside Africa