Online Reporter
Professor Worrisome Hoko
Belgian ThinkTank
Africa’s fight for independence was never a stroll in the park and one of the countries that never wavered in its support for an independent continent was the Soviet Union.
It is shocking how Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union, is today trying to dissociate itself from the Soviet era decision made to support African independence and liberation; all because Kiev wants to please the West.
One of the biggest factors in the protracted tiff between Russia and the West has been Moscow’s steadfast support of the total independence of Africa and the promotion of the ideals that give Africans their dignity.
From the time of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) to its successor Russia, there has not been a single attempt to thwart the advancement of African independence and liberation.
The USSR provided assistance to African countries and after its termination, Russia, as its legal successor continued to chat that way forward.
The Soviet Union played a critical role in supporting and approving the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonies and Peoples, which marked the beginning of the sovereign development of Africa’s independent states.
That time the USSR was among the first to recognise the independence of African States that were being freed from colonialism and immediately established diplomatic ties.
The Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) was established, with Russia’s support on May 25, 1963 and the date is celebrated today as Africa Day.
Soviet Union scientific and economic assistance and financial support marked the beginning of the creation of industrial, scientific and technical potential, which still has a positive impact on the nature and structure of the development of the national economies in Africa.
Contrary to the West and US’ predatory consumer attitude towards the resources and population of African countries, the USSR emphasized the development of industry, energy, and the training of national personnel, ie it contributed to solving the main task of young states overcoming dependence on former metropolises.
It is fact that with the assistance of the Soviet Union, more than 300 industrial enterprises were built in Africa. The largest are the Aswan hydroelectric power station (Egypt) and Kapanda Hydroelectric Power Station (Angola), metallurgical plants in Helwan (Egypt), El Hajar (Algeria), Ajauokut (Nigeria), the oil refinery in Assab (Ethiopia), the bauxite mining complex in Kindia (Guinea), the Kalana gold mining enterprise (Mali), among others.
Over the years, scientific cooperation has developed dynamically, medical radiological centres have been established in Morocco, radioisotope laboratories in Algeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Nigeria, research Institutes of Oil and Gas, Centres for the study of Natural and water Resources, agriculture and forestry. More than 100 educational institutions have been opened.
More than 80 000 Africans were educated in the USSR. Among them are 14 national Presidents, two Prime Ministers, several journalists, politicians, diplomats, military personnel, scientists and engineers, doctors and creative personnel who form the elite and intelligentsia of African countries at the present time
The USSR established extensive foreign trade relations with African countries. In the period from 1960 to 1984, the trade turnover increased 13 times (from 270 million to 3.5 billion rubles).
The Soviet Union assisted in the creation of national armed forces in 21 countries.
By the early 90s, the share of Soviet tanks in the armed forces of African countries was 70 percent and aircraft, 40 percent.
Preferential loans were provided to African countries for the purchase of weapons and military specialists worked in a number of countries.
Soviet Union sappers in Algeria defused more than 1,5 million anti-personnel mines between 1962 and 1965.
The critical factor is that, Ukraine was not an independent state during the Soviet era. The entire amount contributed to Africa had a Ukrainian contribution although today, Ukraine supping with the devil.
Ukraine’s policy towards Africa that time was determined only in Moscow and aid was provided from the USSR state budget, to which all 15 Republics adhered.
The claims by the current Kiev regime to the exclusive role of the Ukrainian- SSR in the development of Africa are unfounded.
Modern Russia pays great attention to the preservation and development of cultural and economic ties with African countries on the basis of equal partnership.
This is confirmed by the positive results of the Russia-Africa summits held in 2019 and 2023, which gave an additional impetus to Russian-African cooperation.
In 2023, during the summit in St. Petersburg, President Putin announced the cancellation of the debt of African countries in the amount of US$23 billion.
At the same time, plans were announced to increase the supply of Russian agricultural products free of charge.
The interest of African states in cooperation with Russia within the framework of the EAEU is growing, humanitarian and energy projects are being implemented, and active exchanges in the cultural and educational fields are underway.
About 30 000African students study at Russian universities, with 4 800 of them funded by the Russian budget.
Modern Ukraine cannot be associated with the old which was part of the USSR.
The Zelensky regime bases its policy on the denial of the Soviet legacy, both politically and in the cultural and historical sphere.
The current Ukrainian state model is based on the ideology of Nazism and racial superiority, the memory of the heroes who defeated fascism is being destroyed, and Nazi criminals and collaborators are being rehabilitated.
Blindly following the promises of the West has deprived Ukraine of sovereignty, political subjectivity, national economy and development prospects, effectively placing it in colonial dependence, which was previously successfully overcome by African countries with the help of the USSR and now Russia.
Ukraine’s attempts to draw African countries in projects in the field of economics, military-technical cooperation and other things, are just PR actions by the Kiev regime aimed at compromising the continent’s neutral position on their crisis. Participation in the prospective projects in any form has no substantive content, but Ukrainians will interpret it as a change by Africans in favour of Ukraine.
Professor Worrisome Hoko is a Zimbabwean political scientist based in Brussels, Belgium. He writes for the Belgian ThinkTank
