VIDEO: UNSC Meeting on Sudan 9 Aug. Remarks by UNSC President at Briefing, Press Stakeout & BBC

NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed. I have viewed this video by UN Web TV showing a meeting on Sudan held at the UN Security Council, New York 09 Aug 2023. The meeting is titled "Sudan and South Sudan" but South Sudan is not in the video. Maybe it was covered in a closed meeting or postponed.  

Dr Volker Perthes, Special Representative (SRSG) for Sudan and Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) was scheduled to give a briefing but his name, along with another briefer, UNSG Guterres, were withdrawn. Sudan was also upset the meeting was open. 

UNSC president, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted the lack of international coverage on Sudan highlights the importance of having an open briefing. Little hard news comes out of Sudan. Two weeks ago I read there is only one western journalist in Sudan and he's in Port Sudan. 

I'll view the video again in order to make notes for future reference. Dr Perthes was praised by some briefers, Japan in particular supported UNITMAS and offered a good idea to update UNITAMS' mandate. 

In my view, the speeches were good. Unsurprisingly, France's was a bit short. A Sudan PR was present with two colleagues and gave a briefing. It's worth keeping an open mind while listening closely and carefully to each speech.

The US chairs the UNSC this month. Here below is a copy of the president's briefing plus links to media stakeout and BBC interview. Her briefing in her capacity as US rep to the UN is on the video around the 1hr 18 min mark. 

VIDEO: UN Security Council Open Meeting on Sudan held 09 Aug 2023 

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Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Briefing on Sudan

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
August 9, 2023

AS DELIVERED

I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu for her leadership and Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for her sobering briefing. And while we are grateful for the ASG’s participation, we had expected SRSG Perthes to brief the Council. We now understand that the Sudanese government warned it would end the UN mission in Sudan if the SRSG participated in this briefing. And that is unacceptable.

I do welcome the participation of the Sudan PR and I look forward to hearing his statement on the situation in Sudan, and particularly efforts to end this senseless war. I also want to thank the United Kingdom for calling this important meeting. Ms. Wosornu, you noted in your statement the lack of international coverage of the situation in Sudan, which highlights the importance of having an open briefing like this.

It’s been over 100 days since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and in that time, senseless violence has wrought unthinkable suffering. The situation has become – in the words of a doctor from Khartoum: “a living hell.” A living hell.

Millions of people have been displaced. We heard the numbers today. Civilians have been shot dead in the street. Children have been orphaned, forcibly recruited, subjected to violence. Women have been brutally raped. Fighting has blocked humanitarian assistance – food, water, medicine, and other essentials – from reaching people in dire need.

There are credible reports that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have carried out continued atrocities and other abuses in West Darfur. Killings based on ethnicity. Widespread sexual violence. The burning and looting of homes and villages. Tens of thousands of people forced to flee to neighboring Chad and other countries. History is repeating itself – in the most tragic way possible.

The United States condemns – in the strongest terms – these reported atrocities, which are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led us to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur. And we are gravely concerned about the risk of further conflict in North and Central Darfur. Specifically, by a reported buildup of Rapid Support Forces and affiliated forces near El Fasher, which poses a threat to non-Arab populations in the area. We are also deeply concerned by unconfirmed reports of armed actors in Sudan preventing people from leaving areas of Darfur in search of safety, including across the border into Chad.

Colleagues, as we approach the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we have a responsibility to live up to the promise of this foundational document. To not just extol human rights, but defend them. So we must all demand the parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians.

Of course, the best way to protect civilians would be for parties to end this brutal conflict – once and for all. The United States, and regional and international partners, are unified in calling for the parties to immediately put down their weapons. And we echo the calls of countries in the region, including the July 10th Intergovernmental Authority on Development communique, to prevent any external interference and military support. This would only intensify and prolong the conflict at the expense of the people of Sudan.

We also support coordinated international diplomatic efforts by the AU, the IGAD, the League of Arab States, the UN, and other parties from the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. But until the guns are silenced, and for as long as this humanitarian crisis continues, we must support the people of Sudan, who have endured so much – so much – needless suffering.

The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. We’re working to support the millions of internally displaced people, the nearly one million people who have crossed into neighboring countries to seek refuge.

We must also work together to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach people in dire need including those who can’t leave their homes because of fighting, fuel shortages, and, simply, because of fear. Bureaucratic hurdles and other barriers have hindered relief efforts. That, too, is unacceptable. Humanitarian workers must be free to do what they do best: they save lives. They need to be able to do that without roadblocks or delays.

We call on Sudanese authorities to expedite visa approvals for humanitarian workers – enable the movement of humanitarian goods and personnel throughout Sudan and facilitate the importation of humanitarian goods and equipment.

As the situation in Sudan has spiraled, neighboring countries have stepped up to welcome refugees. And we are deeply, deeply grateful for these acts of humanity. And we must encourage these countries to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to needed protections.

Colleagues, we must work toward a future where Sudan is back on the path of democracy. Sudan’s political future belongs to the Sudanese people. And we support members of civil society, professional and labor unions, resistance committees, women and youth organizations as they heroically work to meet emergency needs, push for peace, resume the stalled democratic transition – so that freedom, peace, and justice in Sudan can be realized.

At this perilous moment, this body must speak out unequivocally – with one voice – in the name of peace. We should never give into forces that want to stop this Council from addressing matters of international peace and security. In the words of the late Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and human rights activist, he said, “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

We must all urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to end the bloodshed and end the suffering of the Sudanese people. There is no acceptable military solution to this conflict. And peace cannot wait another day.

Thank you.

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View original: https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-by-ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfield-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-sudan-3/

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VIDEO Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN Security Council Stakeout Following a Briefing on Sudan

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
August 9, 2023

 

AS DELIVERED

So good afternoon, and let me thank all of you for being here. I would like to make a statement in my national capacity.

Today, the Security Council met to discuss a pressing matter of international peace and security: the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu and Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for their sobering briefings this morning.

But as I told the Council just now, while we were grateful for the ASG’s participation, we had expected that SRSG Perthes was going to brief the Council. We now know that the Sudanese government threatened to end the UN Mission in Sudan if the SRSG participated in this briefing. And that was really outrageous, and I did make that point in the Council. No country should be able to bully a briefer into silence, let alone the United Nations.

A conflict that has gone on for over 100 days – and has turned large swaths of Sudan into a living hell. The stories and the images coming out of Sudan, especially out of Darfur, are bone-chilling.

There are credible reports that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have carried out continued atrocities in West Darfur. Killings based on ethnicity. Widespread sexual violence against women. The burning and looting of homes and villages. Women who have been brutally – brutally – raped. Children who have been orphaned, forcibly recruited, subjected to violence.

And I think about children like Essam Muhammad, an 11-year-old who fled Sudan and found his way to a refugee camp in Chad. And according to a Washington Post article, Essam’s mother, Fatima, lost her parents in the 2003 genocide. And 20 years later, Essam’s mother was killed by a sniper in western Darfur. Now, Essam is left to care for his 13-month-old sister.

One of the worst chapters of recent history is repeating itself. And it’s beyond horrifying. The Security Council, and the entire international community, has a responsibility to demand the parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians. We have a responsibility to ensure humanitarian assistance can reach people in dire need. And we have a responsibility to urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately put down their weapons.

At this perilous moment, the Security Council and all Member States must stand on the side of peace, and on the right side of history. Let us do everything in our power to end the bloodshed. Sudan’s political future belongs to the Sudanese people – not to the men with guns who are prolonging human suffering.

And I do call upon all of you to continue to report on this dire situation. One of the briefers said that she was struck by the lack of reporting on what is happening in Sudan. And she commented that not knowing what was happening was very, very worrisome. And that’s why I appreciated the UK calling for this meeting today because it gave us an opportunity to once again bring this situation to the forefront of the news.

Thank you very much.

QUESTION: You mentioned specifically what’s happening in Darfur when it comes to ethnic and sexual violence, and that the RSF and the allied militias are to blame. What about in the rest of the country? We heard from the UN that it’s, you know, it’s on a sickening scale. Who’s to blame for all that?

AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It’s all over the country. We have seen this kind of violence being perpetrated by both sides. So, there are no innocents here.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Madam Ambassador. First, just to clarify what you said about Volker Perthes. The ambassador seemed to push back on what you had said. Did the United States receive some kind of a written communication from the foreign ministry and – about this threat –

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: No, this is not the United States –

QUESTION: – I mean the United Nations.

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: – this is the United Nations. We were told yesterday that Volker would be briefing the Council. And this morning his name was pulled. And we understand that that happened because the Sudanese government threatened to pull UNITAMS out of Sudan if he briefed the Council. And I spoke directly to him on that. And he told me he was under instructions.

QUESTION: But my – but that wasn’t my – that was a clarification. My question was you said the Security Council has to do something. Is the United States or is somebody going to put forward a resolution, a presidential statement, something –

AMBASSDOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: No, yeah, I didn’t say we needed to do something on this. What I said is that we were appalled by it, it was outrageous, it was unacceptable. And it is. And we did push back. We got a really excellent briefing from the Assistant Secretary-General, but I do think it’s not appropriate for any Member State to block, or to threaten a briefer.

QUESTION: I wasn’t talking about a briefer, I was talking about the whole, the broad situation of what’s going on in Sudan.

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Yeah, I do think we absolutely need to be doing something. This is one step in that process – calling this open meeting. And there were objections to us having an open meeting on this. But we were able to have an open meeting, and we will look at what other actions and efforts we might take.

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View original text: https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-by-ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfield-at-the-un-security-council-stakeout-following-a-briefing-on-sudan/

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Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s Interview with Caitríona Perry of BBC World News

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations

New York, New York August 8, 2023

AS DELIVERED

QUESTION: Thanks for joining us, Ambassador. If we can turn first to the situation in Ukraine. We’ve seen Russia striking civilians there while holding a blockade of food exports in the Black Sea. Much-needed food relief for countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, and others. In fact, the situation that the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder in the New York Times called a war zone as relevant to NATO as western Ukraine. Is there any hope for relief in the Black Sea as you see it to restore the grain deal?

AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, I continue to be hopeful. The Secretary-General, the United Nations, Türkiye have been working diligently over the course of the past few weeks to push the Russians and urge the Russians to get back into the grain deal. It is in the interest of the Global South community, it is in our interest, and it is in Russia’s interest to get back into this deal. So, we remain hopeful, but it really is in the hands of the Russians to make the right decision to resume allowing for Ukrainian grain to flow through the Black Sea.

QUESTION: Why do you think it is that the UN Security Council has been unable to get a handle on the ongoing Russian aggression, a clear breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is clearly a breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty. It undermines the very foundation of the UN Charter, the foundation of all the values that we believe in. The Council has been consistent in condemning Russia’s actions. Their actions have been condemned very strongly in the General Assembly. We had more than 140 countries vote to condemn Russia, to condemn their actions in Ukraine, to condemn their annexations, and to call for peace.

And in the Security Council itself, you hear every single country calling on Russia to do the right thing; condemning their actions in Ukraine, their attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty. So, it is really in Russia’s hands to end this war today. They can end the war today. They can return Ukrainian territory to Ukraine and allow for the free flow of wheat to the rest of the world.

QUESTION: But those condemnations as well-meaning and as loud and as frequent as they have not led to any actual action on the part of Russia. How significantly do you think their veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council has hindered the ability to bring about any permanent accomplishments?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, their veto power hasn’t protected them from the condemnation. It has not protected them from the isolation that they are feeling in the Security Council. And we will continue to keep the pressure on Russia until they withdraw their troops from Ukraine. And I know that they are feeling that pressure every single day and we cannot let up until they end this unprovoked war of aggression on the Ukrainian people. President Biden has said over and over again that we will stand with Ukraine as long as Ukraine needs us, and we will.

QUESTION: Now I did see peace talks in Jeddah over the weekend. Although there was no significant resolution at all to come from that. Do you think the UN can broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: I think that a deal can be brokered. It has to have Ukraine’s active participation in that process, and it can’t give Russia their – what I like to refer to their ill begotten wealth – their annexation of Ukrainian territory that they took in this unprovoked war. So right now, efforts are being made. We support efforts to find a path to peace. But Russia has to be a willing participant in that. And in participating, they have to withdraw their troops from Ukraine.

QUESTION: And speaking about the Security Council, the U.S. obviously holds the presidency of that for the month of August. One of your priorities is food insecurity, specifically ending famine forever. What are you asking from other UN nations in terms of achieving that goal?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: You know, we are asking other countries to commit to doing everything possible to end famine. There is no reason for 700 million people to go to bed hungry every single night. There is no need for famine like conditions in the Horn of Africa. We have the resources, we have the tools to end this crisis, and we have to commit to doing it. And I was very pleased that we had 91 countries this past week sign on to a communique demanding that food not be used as a weapon of a war. And the Security Council condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

QUESTION: If we can turn to look at the situation in Niger now, the Acting Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Victoria Nuland visited there on Monday. She described the situation on the ground as not comporting with the constitution. Now officially calling it a coup of course has serious legal implications – not least that most U.S. aid would have to be stopped. But if the Biden Administration considers actions there not to be in line with the constitution and the delegation was physically stopped from seeing the president in person, is that not a coup?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is certainly an attempt at a coup. But we still believe that President Bazoum is the recognized elected leader of Niger. And we will continue to push for his release. We have supported the efforts of ECOWAS. They have also called for his release, and they’ve called for the military to stand down.

QUESTION: But if those present there at the moment are not allowing your delegation to visit with the president, they also have refused a visit from an ECOWAS delegation, that is a very serious situation. How concerned are you about the safety of President Bazoum?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It is a serious situation. And we are concerned about his safety. We have stayed engaged with him over the course of his detention. We have spoken with him on the phone several times. I have been in touch with him, as has the Secretary of State and others in the region have reached out to him. And we will keep pushing for his release. ECOWAS will be having a meeting, I think on Thursday, where they will discuss the situation I think more aggressively, talk about how they can find a path forward that will get President Bazoum released.

QUESTION: And specifically, what is the next step that the U.S. can take?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Right now, what we have decided to do is temporarily hold back on all of our support and aid that goes through the Government of Niger. We are still providing direct humanitarian assistance to the people, but we want to be clear that this current effort is not going to be supported by the U.S. government.

QUESTION: Well, thank you for joining us. We’ll leave it there for now. Ambassador Linda Thomas-greenfield, thank you.

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Thank you very much, it was great to be here with you.

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By United States Mission to the United Nations | 8 August, 2023 | Topics: Highlights, Remarks and Highlights

View original: https://usun.usmission.gov/ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfields-interview-with-caitriona-perry-of-bbc-world-news/

[Ends]

Article by Vladimir Putin “Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future“

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor (in England, UK): Here is a manual copy of a tweet posted by Cameron Hudson @_hudsonc today:

Russia cranking up its propaganda in advance of its Russia-Africa summit this week. While it singles out "malign Western influence" and the West's "blackmail machine," RT also clearly warns that "Russia will be there for those countries that stood with in in its hour of need."

This Tweet is unavailable. Learn more.

This Tweet from @ has been withheld in Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Germany, Greece, Romania, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Austria, Luxembourg, Latvia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Cyprus, France, Spain, Belgium in response to a legal demand. https://Learn more.

6:34 PM · Jul 24, 2023 

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View original: https://twitter.com/_hudsonc/status/1683531059709788165

Russia cranking up its propaganda in advance of its Russia-Africa summit this week. While it singles out "malign Western influence" and the West's "blackmail machine," RT also clearly warns that "Russia will be there for those countries that stood with in in its hour of need." https://t.co/pwdEU7vb7n

— Cameron Hudson (@_hudsonc) July 24, 2023

SW Ed Post script: I can only view the full tweet via its embed code posted here. When I click on my link to the tweet it leads to the tweet's intro followed by: This Tweet is unavailable. Learn more. When I click on the RT link within the embed code copy it leads directly to a Twitter page simply saying: This Tweet is unavailable. Learn more - followed by these five tweets:

Jebren جبرين @jebren_

#Thanks_Russia 

#Africa_Russia

Jamel AK-0002829 @ras_jamel 

this is what we need .

Earlyn L Walker @earlyn_l

This is how the people of the world should be, working together for the benefit of everyone and not just a few. For instance, railways in Africa will benefit landlocked countries. Being non-aligned means not giving into outside pressure such as the ICC.

Michael Vaynerchuk @MichaelVaynerc1

It's a Roman empire thinking that drives the EU and nothing else 

Cheap labor and Cheap resources such in their colonial history.... greed and unforfeeling narcissism is very powerful tools.... 

NotBenjamin @BenjaminTitnit

[thumbs up emoji]

Also, the paragraph with country list appears intermittently. It is not showing at the time of this posting. This is Day 1 of Twitter launching its new brand name: X. Note, one time when I clicked on the tweet to read the RT report, it led me directly to the website and article copied here below.

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[From the website of]

President of Russia [http://en.kremlin.ru - here is a full copy, URL search bar displays Not Secure:]

Article by Vladimir Putin “Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future“

July 24, 2023 00:00

On July 27–28, St Petersburg will host the second Russia-Africa Summit and Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. On the eve of these large-scale representative events which will bring together heads of state and government, entrepreneurs, academia and public figures, I would like to share my vision of the development of Russia-Africa relations with the readers of the leading media on the African continent, outlining priority cooperation areas for the coming decades of the 21^st century.

The partnership relations between our country and Africa have strong, deep roots and have always been distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill. We have consistently supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression. We have provided assistance in developing statehood, strengthening their sovereignty and defence capability. Much has been done to create sustainable foundations for national economies. By the mid-1980s, with the participation of our specialists, over 330 large infrastructure and industrial facilities have been built in Africa, such as power plants, irrigation systems, industrial and agricultural enterprises, which are successfully operating to this day, and continue to make a significant contribution to the continent’s economic development. Tens of thousands of African doctors, technical specialists, engineers, officers and teachers have received education in Russia.

I would like to specifically mention the traditionally close cooperation on the world stage, the firm and consistent advocacy rendered by the USSR and then Russia to African countries at international fora. We have always strictly adhered to the “African solutions to African problems” principle, standing in solidarity with Africans in their struggle for self-determination, justice and their legitimate rights. We have never tried to impose on partners our own ideas about the internal structure, forms and methods of management, development goals and ways to achieve them. Unchanged remains our respect for the sovereignty of African states, their traditions and values, their desire to independently determine their own destiny and freely build relationships with partners.

We highly value the honestly-gained capital of friendship and cooperation, traditions of trust and mutual support that Russia and African countries share. We are brought together by a common desire to shape a system of relations based on the priority of international law, respect for national interests, indivisibility of security, and recognition of the central coordinating role of the United Nations.

Today, the constructive, trustful, forward-looking partnership between Russia and Africa is especially significant and important. Major centres of economic and political power and influence are emerging in the world, which are asserting themselves more and more insistently, demanding that they be reckoned with. We are sure that a new multipolar world order, the contours of which are already seen, will be more just and democratic. And there is no doubt that Africa, along with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, will take its worthy place in it and finally free itself from the bitter legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism, rejecting its modern practices.

Russia welcomes the rising international authority of individual states as well as Africa as a whole, their desire to make their voices strongly heard and to take the continent's problems into their own hands. We have always supported the constructive initiatives of our partners. We stand for granting African countries their rightful place in the structures that determine the world’s fate, including the UN Security Council and the G20, as well as for reforming the global financial and trade institutions in a way that meets their interests.

Regrettably, we see that the situation in the world today is far from stable. The long-standing conflicts that exist in nearly every region are deepening, and new threats and challenges are emerging. And Africa feels the burden of global challenges like no other part of the world. In such a challenging environment, we look forward to working with our African partners to shape a non-discriminatory agenda for cooperation. 

The strategic areas of our interaction are set by the decisions of the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi in late October 2019. The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was established for their effective implementation. We have set up bilateral intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with many countries of the continent, and the network of Russian embassies and trade missions in Africa will be expanded. Further instruments are being actively developed to better structure economic relations and make them more dynamic.

I would like to note with satisfaction that Russia’s trade turnover with the African countries increased in 2022 and reached almost 18 billion US dollars. However, we are all well aware that the potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher. Russian companies are interested in working more actively on the continent in the sphere of high technologies and geological exploration, in the fuel and energy complex, including nuclear power, in the chemical industry, mining and transport engineering, agriculture and fishery. The changes taking place in the world require the search for solutions related to the establishment of new transport and logistical chains, the formation of a monetary and financial system, and mechanisms of mutual settlements that are safe and free from unfavourable external impacts.

We understand the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for the socio-economic development and political stability of the African states. On this basis, we have always paid great attention to issues related to the supply of wheat, barley, maize and other crops to African countries. We have done so both on a contractual basis and free of charge as humanitarian aid, including through the United Nations Food Programme. Thus, in 2022, Russia exported 11.5 million tonnes of grain to Africa, and almost 10 million tonnes more were delivered in the first half of 2023 – despite the sanctions imposed on our exports, which severely hamper the supply of Russian food products to developing countries, complicating transport logistics, insurance arrangements and bank payments.

Many have probably heard of the so-called “grain deal,” whose initial purpose was to ensure global food security, reduce the threat of hunger and help the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America – the reason why Russia undertook the obligation to facilitate its implementation in the first place. This “deal,” however, while it was publicly advertised by the West as a gesture of goodwill that benefited Africa, has in fact been shamelessly used solely for the enrichment of large US and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine.

Judge for yourselves: in almost a year, a total of 32.8 million tonnes of supplies were exported from Ukraine under the “deal,” with over 70 percent of the exports ending up in high- and upper-middle-income countries, including in the European Union, whereas such countries as Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, as well as Yemen and Afghanistan, received less than 3 percent of the supplies, i.e. less than one million tonnes.

In the meantime, none of the “deal” provisions relating to the exemption from sanctions of Russian grain and fertiliser exports to world markets, were fulfilled. Moreover, barriers have been mounted even to our attempts to supply free of charge mineral fertilisers to the poorest countries in need. Of 262,000 tonnes of goods blocked in European ports, only two shipments were delivered – one of 20,000 tonnes to Malawi and one of 34,000 tonnes to Kenya. The rest is still unscrupulously held by the Europeans. And this is a purely humanitarian initiative we are talking about, which should be exempt from any sanctions as such.

Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose. We argued against further extending the “deal,” which terminated as of July 18.

I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year.

Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilisers and other goods to Africa. We highly value and will further develop the full spectrum of economic ties with Africa – with individual states as well as regional integration associations and, naturally, with the African Union. We welcome this organisation's strategic course towards further economic integration and the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. We are ready to build pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations, including within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. We are also willing to step up cooperation with other regional integration organisations on the continent.

In keeping with the existing tradition, we intend to continue providing assistance to African states in building their national human resource capacity. There are currently about 35 thousand students from the continent in Russia, more than 6,000 of them receive Russian government scholarships. Each year we increase the number of scholarships, promote paid higher education options and facilitate inter-university ties, which have gained significant momentum in recent times.

Bringing humanitarian, cultural, sports and mass media cooperation to a whole new level would serve our common interests. I would like to seize this opportunity to invite our young African friends to the World Youth Festival, which will take place in Sochi, Russia, in March 2024. This large-scale international forum will bring together more than 20,000 participants from more than 180 countries for an informal, friendly and open dialogue that is free from ideological and political barriers, racial and religious prejudice and would consolidate the young generation around the ideals of lasting and durable peace, prosperity and creative spirit.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that we attach great importance to the upcoming second Russia–Africa Summit. We expect that the Summit would adopt a comprehensive Declaration, a number of joint statements and approve the Russia – Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan to 2026. We are working to prepare an impressive package of intergovernmental and inter‑agency agreements and memoranda with individual states as well as regional associations of the continent.

I am looking forward to welcoming the African leaders in St. Petersburg and stand committed to a fruitful constructive dialogue. I firmly believe that the decisions adopted at the Summit and Forum, coupled with continuous diversified joint work will contribute to further development of Russian‑African strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

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Topics

Foreign policy

Publication status

Published in sections: News, Transcripts

Publication date: July 24, 2023, 00:00

Text version

View original: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/71719

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