Moscow wants African solidarity against Russophobia
(MENAFN) Moscow has called on African countries to stand in solidarity with Russia in its fight against discrimination, drawing parallels between the current discrimination faced by Russians and the injustices endured by Africans during colonial times. The appeal was made by Maria Zabolotskaya, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, during a speech at a forum commemorating the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). The forum was organized by the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.
In her address, Zabolotskaya praised the ICERD but criticized the lack of progress in fully implementing its principles since its adoption. She acknowledged that while apartheid is a thing of the past, discrimination continues to persist, warning of a resurgence of discrimination in overt forms in the 21st century.
Zabolotskaya specifically pointed out discriminatory policies in several European and Baltic countries targeting Russian-speaking populations, such as stripping ethnic Russians of voting rights and access to civil service positions. She accused these countries, including Ukraine, of carrying out a policy aimed at eradicating the Russian language and culture, with little intervention from the UN’s human rights bodies.
The Russian diplomat emphasized that Russia has historically supported African nations in their fight against colonialism and racial discrimination and expressed hope that African countries would now support Russia in its struggle against discrimination. She also reiterated Russia’s commitment to supporting any efforts to address these injustices, which she argued also affect people of African descent by hindering their development.
Several African nations have acknowledged Russia’s role in their liberation movements from colonial powers and have expressed their support for Moscow’s stance against Western dominance. For instance, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa stated that the country's independence from Britain in 1980 would not have been possible without the support of Russia and China.
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