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Lavrov in Mali
Photo: IMAGO / IMAGO/SNA
During a visit to Mali, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western states of manipulating African states with a neo-colonial agenda.
The former colonial powers "have to get used to the fact that the world has changed," Lavrov said Tuesday after meeting his Malian colleague Abdoulaye Diop, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
The West has a negative attitude towards Africa that encourages decisions that manipulate public opinion.
The West wants to decide the fate of Africa.
Neo-colonialism has not died out in the West.
The statements were primarily a dig at the former colonial power France, previously Mali's strongest partner.
France decided to withdraw from Mali about a year ago because the interim military government that came to power in a coup maintains close contacts with Russia and is said to have hired fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
Germany also decided to withdraw in November.
Russia, on the other hand, is expanding its partnership with the junta and is supplying Mali with weapons and Mi-8 and Mi-24 attack helicopters, a Mig-25 fighter jet and a Casa C-295 transport aircraft.
The deliveries of military technology have strengthened Mali's army and supported it in the fight against terrorism, Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Islamist terrorist groups have been troubling Mali for years.
The country with around 20 million inhabitants has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered to be extremely unstable politically.
On Wednesday Lavrov wants to travel to Sudan;
Visits to Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco are also reportedly planned.
Lavrov's state visits are taking place, among other things, in preparation for a Russia-Africa summit planned for July.
Lavrov has already visited eight other African countries in recent months.
dop/dpa
