The United States announced on Friday that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken would visit South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda between August 7 and August 11. This journey was announced barely two days after Serguei Lavrov, Blinken's Russian counterpart, finished his African tour, which included Egypt, the Congo, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
It
serves as another indication of the power struggle between the West and Russia,
which is ongoing in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine and a food crisis.
The
US also announced in the same week that Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President
Biden's ambassador to the UN, will travel to Ghana and Uganda on August 4.
During
his visit, Lavrov dismissed claims that Russia was exporting famine and instead
accused the West of controlling supply and commodity movements during the
pandemic, arguing that this made it more difficult to acquire food. The
sanctions imposed on his nation were aggravating the issue, the Russian foreign
minister added. Washington wants to rewrite the narrative with these trips.
A
tough bet as many African nations have refused to condemn Russia's invasion of
Ukraine. With 25 of Africa’s 54 states abstained from a vote to condemn
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the U.N. General Assembly in March.
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