The United States to Pass Law to Punish Africans that Support Russia

The United States to Pass Law to Punish Africans that Support Russia

May 28, 2022

Wongel Zelalem

A new law Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act to punish states that back certain Russian actions could have major implications for African countries, including South Africa.

A United States (US) bill that would oblige Washington to punish African governments that abet Russian 'malign' activities on the continent is sailing through Congress.

They are seeking to pass a law to counter Russia in Africa by tracking its military operations, investments, leaders and claims of illicit financial flows.

This was partly because more than half of the African countries chose to be neutral on United Nations resolutions on Russia's operations in Ukraine. This signaled America's somewhat challenged influence or control of resources on the continent.

Through the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, the US wishes to "hold to account African governments and their officials who are complicit in aiding (Russia's) malign influence and activities".

On April 27th, the US Senate put the bill to a vote, with 415 in favor and nine against.

It has not yet been signed into law.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Gregory Weldon Meeks, who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, will require the State Department to send Congress, every year, a report on US measures to counter Russian machinations in Africa.

Through the law, Congress should: "Regularly assess the scale and scope of the Russian Federation's influence and activities in Africa that undermine United States objectives and interests, and determine how to address and counter such influence and activities effectively, including through appropriate United States foreign assistance programs; and to hold accountable the Russian Federation and African governments and their officials who are complicit in aiding such malign influence and activities," reads the Act.

Since 2014, Russia has been growing its soft power influence in Africa by means of appeal and attraction in investment, bilateral agreements and diplomatic ties.

William Mpofu, a research fellow at the Witwatersrand University, told News24: "The decision by 17 African countries to abstain from the March 2nd resolution to condemn the attack on Ukraine by Russia, while a middle-of-the-road approach was an endorsement on Russia."

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, in its report titled: "Security, Soft Power, and Regime Support: Spheres of Russian Influence in Africa", noted that, in recent years, Russia had presented itself to Africa as a military partner mostly to countries with a questionable democracy and human rights record in exchange for natural resources. This is seen as the superpower's bid to rekindle old Soviet-era ties.

On April 12th, in the middle of the war in Ukraine, Russia scored a diplomatic victory when it signed a military cooperation agreement with Cameroon.

Russia has numerous such deals in at least 20 African countries, whereby there is collaboration with regard to international defense and security policy, training troops, military education, medicine and topography.

In October 2019, the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg worked under the theme, "For peace, security and development," could serve as an indicator of where Africa stood.

The Forum was attended by African heads of state, representatives of Russian, African, and international business and government agencies, and representatives of African integration associations.

The Forum was a strategically important step towards creating favorable conditions for the development of trade and economic relations between Russia and Africa and also helped diversify the forms and areas of Russian-African cooperation.

A significant set of trade, economic, and investment agreements was signed following the conclusion of the Forum.

The Russia–Africa panel discussion will become a permanent fixture at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, while the Roscongress Foundation will continue working on the African track until the next Forum.

https://rumble.com/v16mnd2-the-united-states-to-pass-law-to-punish-africans-that-support-russia.html

https://www.bitchute.com/video/IQJTCpGEZlWn

https://odysee.com/@ProgressiveTruthSeekers:3/The-United-States-to-Pass-Law-to-Punish-Africans-that-Support-Russia

https://summitafrica.ru/en

Original: https://youtu.be/5OquGiUzge0