23- June-2023
The Kremlin has rejected allegations by French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia is a destabilising force in Africa as he cited Moscow’s deployment of mercenary groups there.
“Russia is developing friendly, constructive relations based on mutual respect and concern for each other’s problems,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded on Friday
Our relations with all African countries are not directed – and cannot be directed – against third countries,” he told reporters.
Macron earlier on Friday criticised Russian deployments in Africa at the New Global Financing Pact summit in Paris. Many African leaders – including those from Chad, Gabon, Nigeria and South Africa – are attending the summit seeking to overhaul the international financial system.
The French leader said Moscow’s influence in the region is not beneficial for the international community.
“This is a destabilising force in Africa through private militias who come to prey on and commit abuses on civilian populations,” Macron said in an interview with French media on the sidelines of the summit
“Russia on its own accord has put itself in a situation in which it no longer respects international law, becoming basically one of the only colonial powers of the 21st century by waging an empire war against its neighbour Ukraine,” he added.
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group and its businessman leader Yevgeny Prigozhin have been repeatedly sanctioned by the European Union, including for human rights abuses in Africa.
Prigozhin had his assets in the European Union frozen in 2020 and was placed on a visa blacklist over the deployment of Wagner Group fighters to war-torn Libya, a decision he unsuccessfully appealed.
A second Russia-Africa summit is to be held in St Petersburg at the end of July