Continent of attraction

Belarus strengthens co-operation with African countries

The recent visits to Belarus by the presidents of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, demonstrate the significance of our work with African states. Minsk is consistently implementing a strategy that consists not only in expanding the export positions of our manufacturers, but also in offering partners projects for mutual economic development, and that is indispensably accompanied by comprehensive political dialogue.

Italian coffee from Uganda 

At times, various kinds of sceptics and ‘independent journalists’, maintained by Western foundations, try to discredit the very idea of Belarus’ co-operation with African states, taking advantage of the public’s lack of awareness and highlighting the existing problems of some African countries. At the same time, such critics do not answer the questions about the real causes of these phenomena, or about why such an ‘unpromising’ African continent so strongly attracts leading world powers and multinational corporations. 

It is no secret that the former Western metropolises strive to preserve neo-colonial influence in Africa in order to continue the ruthless exploitation of its natural resources and extract maximum profit. 

Thus, the famous Italian coffee is almost a quarter supplied by raw materials from Uganda, whereas the lack of relevant technologies does not allow Ugandans to organise quality processing within their country. The policy of Paris should be considered in the same context, where its ‘assistance’ is conditioned by obligations to purchase French goods, services, technologies and to grant favourable concessions for the development of natural deposits.

Shoots of justice

Despite the well-known difficulties, which can be linked both to the heavy legacy of the colonial past and to internal problems of state growth, the African region is currently one of the most promising in terms of potential for further development. In particular, despite the presence of leading global players, there remains a demand for investment in mining, including rare earth minerals.
To date, its agricultural potential has not been realised, although the continent accounts for 65 percent of the world’s arable land and about 10 percent of internal renewable freshwater sources.

It is in the agricultural sphere that co-operation between Belarus and Zimbabwe is actively developing, with Minsk acting as Harare’s main partner in the implementation of the agricultural modernisation and mechanisation programme.

According to Igor Marshalov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus, to date, domestic manufacturers have supplied more than 2,000 units of agricultural machinery for the needs of the Zimbabwean side.
In a sense, the Belarusian approach reminds African partners of the policy of the Soviet Union, which played a decisive role in supporting the anti-colonial national liberation movement, the establishment and development of education, science and industry on the continent.

Sharing technologies

Belarus is ready to share certain technologies in the fields of agriculture, mechanical engineering, and geological exploration, the possession of which will significantly enhance the sovereignty of African states and their ability to pursue independent policies.
“You should know that in the centre of Europe, there is a country — Belarus — which is always ready to lend you a helping hand in any situation. We will put the results of this visit on the scales of peace and progress,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised during his visit to Zimbabwe in January 2023. “If Zimbabwe is interested in creating joint ventures in Zimbabwe and Belarus, we are ready to do so. Receiving raw materials from Zimbabwe, we will — together with your specialists — process these raw materials at enterprises in Belarus and share the profit. We also welcome Zimbabwean capital in the capital of our enterprises,” the President added.

Subsequently, the Belarusian leader developed his thought and already during the return visit of his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, noted that ‘our bilateral co-operation is a new standard in working with African countries’.

Long-term strategy

Minsk’s actions are already yielding positive results. According to last year’s performance, Belarusian exports to the African market grew more than four times, and the intensity of delegation exchanges increased significantly.
Our strategy is long-term and, accordingly, needs to be supported by subject matter specialists, who need to be trained at the Minsk State Linguistic University, the Faculty of International Relations at the Belarusian State University, and in technical universities. Political expertise deserves special attention, as the promotion of economic interests in Africa and the implementation of joint projects are virtually impossible without a deep knowledge of regional and national specifics, the nature of the formation and structure of elites.
Given the stagnation of Europe as a customary centre of business activity and the growing uncertainty regarding the future of the global trade and economic system, the African continent appears to be one of the most promising economic spaces. Therefore the Belarusian bet seems well-grounded and auspicious.
In essence, our country is implementing a pilot project in Zimbabwe as part of its own strategy in the region, and the further scaling of our proposals, ideas and approaches depends on the success of the joint actions of Minsk and Harare. Currently, the parties are moving quite successfully along the agreed roadmap, which allows us to count on achieving fruitful results.

Fallback option 

Africa holds approximately 40 percent of the world’s gold reserves and up to 90 percent of chromium and platinum, as well as significant deposits of cobalt, diamonds, and uranium. For example, Guinea possesses 35 percent of the planetary volume of bauxite, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for about 70 percent of all global cobalt production, while South Africa, Madagascar, Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Burundi have impressive reserves of neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium. 

Whom did Paris support?

Guided by material considerations, Western countries often condone or provide direct support to the most corrupt, anti-popular regimes. In 1994, during the Rwandan genocide — which claimed the lives of about a million people — official Paris was thoroughly tainted by its support of war criminals. In May 2021, Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to Rwanda, was forced to admit that, ‘in wanting to prevent the outbreak of a regional conflict or a civil war, France effectively remained on the side of the regime that carried out the genocide’.

By Aleksandr Shpakovsky, deputy of the House of Representatives, member of the Standing Committee on International Affairs