War in Ukraine | “It’s a stab in the back”: African countries censure Russia’s decision not to renew the grain agreement

2023-07-18 20:13:36

The decision of Russia to suspend the agreement export of grain Ukrainians from Black Sea it is already having consequences on the geopolitical chessboard. And, this time, the criticism comes from where it was not expected. The leaders of some countries Africaone of the continents most affected by the food insecurityhave censured in the last hours the decision of Moscowrevealing divisions in the support of the continent to the Kremlin.

One day after the announcement of the immediate withdrawal of the agreement promoted by the HIM y Türkiye On behalf of the Government of Vladimir Putin, one of the harshest voices has been that of Korir Sing’Oei, Foreign Minister of Kenya. “Russia’s decision to abandon the Black Sea Grain Initiative is a stab in the back to global food security and disproportionately affects countries in the Horn of Africa that are already suffering the impacts of drought”, said Sing’Oei.

The foreign minister of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo, has also uttered similar words. The grain deal was a “lifeline for nations most in need,” and its suspension “will have profound consequences,” Kakubo said. The alternatives involve “higher costs and longer transit times,” the Zambian politician said in a written note. .

Blow for poor countries

In the same vein, Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization, has been “deeply disappointed” due to the paralysis of the agreement. “Trade in the Black Sea of foodsfeed and fertilizers is essential for the stability of the prices global of foods. It is sad to say that people poor and poor countries are the most affected,” Okonjo-Iweala pointed out. Instead, others like South African President Cyril Ramaphonsa, who previously avoided condemning Russian aggression, have remained silent.

Analysts have also stressed that Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement “is really negative news for countries highly dependent on food imports,” as Jacques Nel, head of Africa Macro at the consulting firm Oxford Economics Africa, explained. In a statement awarded to African Business, Nel also emphasized that East Africa is just beginning to recover from a long period of drought, while the north africa It is a region that is still vulnerable as it is highly dependent on food imports.

difficult solution

So much so that, in the last year, Egypt has been the sixth largest grain importer from Ukraine through the Black Sea Initiative formula. Another example is the case of Nigeria, a country that is also a major importer of wheat in the world, as well as Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia y South Sudan, where 50 million people need food aid following years of poor rainfall. The big problem is the foreseeable increases in food prices, also due to market speculation. Already on Monday, the price of wheat it rose approximately 3%, according to the UN.

The tangle is not easy to solve. After Russia’s withdrawal, the Ukrainian government said it was willing to continue using the Black Sea corridor “if Turkey allows transit.” “We have already been contacted by some ship-owning companies that are willing to continue transporting grain,” said the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. But Moscow does not seem willing to allow this to happen.

By contrast, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, suggested that these ships would be in danger if they do not have authorization from Moscow. “We are talking about an area very close to the area of ​​the armed combat“Certain risks arise there without adequate security guarantees,” Peskov said. Using other brokers does not seem to be a viable option either. The reason is that even the Danube ports are considered less efficient, which would reduce the amount of grain Ukraine can export and also increase the cost of transportation.