For the second Russia-Africa Summit, which will take place on July 27 and 28 in Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin claims that “African states have been subjected to unprecedented pressure” from the West regarding their participation. According to LSI Africa, 38 out of the 54 African countries did not send their leaders to the summit.
The attendance of African heads of state at the summit in Saint Petersburg on July 27 and 28 was the subject of pressure and negotiations until the last minute from both sides. On July 25, 2023, Russian authorities accused the West of subjecting African countries to “unprecedented pressure” to dissuade them from participating in the “Second Russia-Africa Summit for Peace, Security, and Development.”
“Practically all African states have been subjected to unprecedented pressure from the United States. French embassies have not been inactive (…) and other Western missions are attempting to prevent this summit from taking place,” said Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, to journalists.
49 African delegations have confirmed their participation, with approximately half being represented by their head of state or government, as reported by LSI Africa. This figure falls far short of what the Kremlin was hoping for. According to the same source, 38 out of 54 African countries did not send their leaders to the summit.
Only 16 countries will be represented at the level of heads of state, according to presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov on Tuesday. Ten other African states have sent their prime ministers to the summit in Saint Petersburg. Nearly half of the summit’s participants have sent lower-level delegations: 16 of them are led by deputy prime ministers and ministers, and five by simple ambassadors. Five African states have declined to participate in the summit.
