Russia-Africa Summit: Mimiko urges Africa to tread with caution

Former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko has warned that Africa countries have a lot to lose if they do not study the kind of deal it signs with other continents as they are only interested in the continent’s rich natural resources. Mimiko took to twitter yesterday to give a contrary opinion to the deal celebrated by African countries.

“Africa-Russia Summit on going, another scramble for Africa? From Tokyo to Beijing and now Sochi. Today, like yesterday; different players, same goal: access to natural/mineral resources, asymmetrical trade relations, and strategic rivalry. Africa shine your eyes,” he tweeted.

Dozens of African officials and business leaders were in Sochi, Russia, for a two-day summit designed to bolster relations between Russia and all 54 African nations. Moscow hopes the summit, co-chaired by Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, will kick start economic, security and political partnerships.

In August 2018, the New York Times reported that the U.S. would begin drawing down troops and scaling back missions throughout Africa. For its part, Moscow has taken a hands-on approach, forging security and economic alliances from the Central African Republic to Eritrea.

On his part, social activist, Ariyo Dare Atoye said the different summits held by foreign countries with Africa are an emerging Neo-Partitioning of Africa for resource-control.