The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, arrived Sunday evening in Oyo, in northern Congo, where he began the second part of his African tour in Cairo, Egypt. The country is trying to break diplomatic isolation and sanctions imposed by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.
President Denis Sassou Nguesso and Minister Sergei Lavrov held one-on-one talks on Monday. Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Congo-Brazzaville has been seen as a "neutral" country in this conflict. Sergei Lavrov is trying to convince African countries that it is better to side with Russia than the West. He offers to help with 'finishing the process of decolonization.
The Russian minister will then visit Uganda and Ethiopia. In Cairo, he tried to reassure his Egyptian partners about food insecurity risks, particularly in Africa, after the agreement on "secure corridors" for grain exports.
The whole continent is dependent on Russian and Ukrainian wheat. More than 40% of all grain imported comes from these two countries. Since the Russian aggression, the trade has been inhibited and many Ukrainian farmers cannot tend to their crops due to military movements on their fields.
This week also the French president, Emmanuel Macron, is due to visit Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
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