The continent’s leaders are under increasing pressure to boycott events organized by the Kremlin, Foreign Ministry official Anatoly Bashkin has said
Anatoly Bashkin. © Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Ukraine and Western countries are using blackmail as part of their efforts to counter Moscow’s growing presence in Africa, Anatoly Bashkin, director of the African department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia in an interview published on Tuesday. According to Bashkin, representatives from Kiev and the West have been conducting targeted “political demarches” and a full-fledged “information campaign” to undermine Russia’s efforts to strengthen relations with African nations. “The opposition of the collective West to our foreign policy in Africa is felt, so to speak, on a permanent basis… All methods are used, they do not disdain anything, even open blackmail of Africans,” he stated. Bashkin said several attempts to isolate Russia, including pressuring African leaders to boycott events organized by Moscow, such as the recently held first Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership, have failed. “The Westerners used all the levers of pressure they had on the African capitals so that as few delegations as possible would come and ultimately the event would fail. Despite the work organized against us, the forum was visited by 54 official delegations of countries and regional integration associations, including more than 40 ministers,” Bashkin said. READ MORE: US Republicans urging Trump to punish South Africa – Fox News Russia’s relations with African states have improved in recent years, while Western governments have expressed concern about their declining influence. France and its allies have accused Russia of pursuing predatory projects and spreading disinformation in African countries, where Paris and the US have suffered military and diplomatic failures. However, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all former French colonies that have severed defense ties with Paris, have welcomed Moscow as a strategic partner. The three West African states have accused Ukraine of arming and training rebels and jihadist insurgents responsible for terrorism in the Sahel region. Kiev denies the allegations.
South Africa has also maintained close ties with Russia, despite external pressure to distance itself from Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict. A group of lawmakers in the US has demanded that Pretoria be removed from the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export duty-free to the American market. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed Moscow as a “valued” ally and “friend” during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in October. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has previously accused the US and its allies of promoting “neocolonial” policies in Africa and elsewhere. President Putin has also pledged that Russia would help African states “in every way possible to strengthen national and cultural sovereignty.” READ MORE: West pressured African states not to attend St. Petersburg summit – Kremlin 
