Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Assimi Goïta, the interim leader of Mali, during his visit to Bamako on Tuesday, during a diplomatic trip that’s drawn concern over the security role of Russian fighters in the Sahel nation and Moscow’s bid for wider influence on the African continent. “We…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
African leaders speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York laid out their case for how the destabilized global environment is impacting their nations, with food insecurity due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict a priority. The leaders of Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda were among those speaking at Wednesday’s…
China hosted Wednesday’s meeting on security among BRICS nations, with South Africa, Russia, Brazil and India attending the virtual session led by Yang Jiechi, director of China’s foreign affairs commission. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed mutual solidarity on political issues including China’s proposed Global…
Nigeria is promoting its oil and gas industry during President Buhari’s state visit to Spain, a move that comes as European nations seek to secure resources to replace the now-banned imports of Russian oil. Buhari and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have highlighted Nigeria’s energy sector during…
President Isaias Afwerki, authoritarian leader of Eritrea, defended both Russia and China while holding the West responsible for the situation in Ukraine, during a speech marking Independence Day in the Horn of Africa nation. Afwerki, in office since 1991—a tenure that places him among Africa’s longest-running leaders—drew parallels to his…
President Dénis Sassou N’Guesso of the Republic of Congo was in Italy on Thursday to discuss partnership on energy between the two nations, one that centers on a new deal supported by oil major Eni to increase the supply of gas from the African nation. “The Italian government is pushing…
Ethiopians have reportedly volunteered to fight on Russia’s side in its war with Ukraine, but Russia said Tuesday that it will decline their overtures in keeping with international law. “The embassy has been receiving, by emails and in person visits from citizens of Ethiopia, expressions of their solidarity and support…
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has again reached out to the African Union (AU) for support in his nation’s war with Russia, calling his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, on Monday to discuss the crisis. Zelensky said he provided an update to Sall, the current president of the AU, on the…
The Ukrainian government says Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, plans to send fighters from his divided North African nation to support the Russian side in its invasion of Ukraine. “The transfer of military mercenaries is likely to be carried out at the expense of a private military…
The United Nations warns that amid other concerns about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the impact on wheat and food supply reaches far beyond its borders and has the potential to make matters worse in countries like Somalia that are already challenged by a hunger crisis. “For months now, developing…
Nigeria on Monday said it was discouraging its citizens from seeking travel to Ukraine as foreign fighters in the ongoing war with Russia. That’s according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said it heard reports that people were going to the Ukrainian embassy in Abuja to express their support…
The United States has broadened its efforts to place sanctions against Russian elites in connection with the armed conflict in Ukraine, this time adding a group of individuals that includes Pevgeniy Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin was previously targeted by the U.S. Department of Treasury for…
Eritrea was one of just five states, including Russia, to vote against a United Nations resolution on Wednesday that called on the Kremlin to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” The others voting against the resolution…
Nigeria has thus far avoided much of the international discourse on Russia and Ukraine, but the country’s foreign minister is engaging in diplomatic efforts at home and has called for an end to the fighting. “We support every effort being made to stop the aggression and Russian troops to return…
The South African government on Thursday called on Russia to immediately withdraw forces from Ukraine, becoming one of the first African nations to speak up on the matter outside of a global forum like the United Nations Security Council. “The Republic of South Africa is dismayed at the escalation of…