Russia’s President Putin hosted 44 Presidents and Prime Ministers of Africa at a first-of-its-kind summit on 23-24 October in Sochi. It is not different like triennial summit of African leaders hosted by China. Russia’s efforts to boost its influence in Africa is not limited to about arms, nuclear power and investment deals, but to secure prominent influence on the African continent.
Russia has written off $20 billion in debt from the Soviet era and is setting up a $5 billion fund for Russian-African trade. Businessmen sealed some 50 deals worth over $12 billion. Currently 15,000 students from 50 African countries were studying in Russian universities for free.
America saw Russia and China “great power competitors” to America and Europe in Africa. Russia lags behind America & Europe but “China got the juiciest bits.”
China has heavily invested in Egypt and Eastern Africa in railways, new ports, and road’s network in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania.
(In Sochi, Egyptian President Sisi met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to ease tension for $4-billion dam on the Blue Nile which is under dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia).
