The Embassy of the Russian Federation has taken note of the opinion piece published in the Mail & Guardian on 19 May 2026, authored by Mr. Wellington Muzengeza, titled “Africa’s new information war: The leaked files that expose a manufactured solidarity.”
We consider this publication a poorly disguised attempt to cast a shadow over the rapidly developing, mutually beneficial partnership between the Russian Federation and the African continent. It is regrettable that Mr. Muzengeza decided to make unsubstantiated claims, based on anonymous “leaked documents” from clearly biased sources, which have become somewhat of a tool in the geopolitical smear campaign against the emerging multipolar world order.
The article tries to construct a fake reality, presenting Russia’s diverse and deep ties with Africa as a monolithic and malign “influence architecture”. The allegations are built on a pre-existing and openly racist UK/EU template, which suggests African nations are passive, easily swayed by “elite capture” and “engineered narratives”. This narrative denies the African nations of the right to be sovereign actors making independent choices according to their own national interests. This colonialistic view reveals the true mindset of those who stand behind this opinion piece. These people simply cannot conceive international relations outside the paradigm of take-up-the-whiteman’s burden and neo-colonial exploitation, a framework that Russia categorically rejects and has been vehemently opposed to for ages.
The key thesis of a “manufactured solidarity” is a direct insult to the decades-long, principled ties between our peoples. Our solidarity is not and cannot be manufactured; it was forged in the crucible of history, through the USSR’s unequivocal support for African decolonization and liberation movements, and it continues today in our joint fight against modern forms of neo-colonialism and for the true democratization of international relations. The foundation of this partnership is not disinformation, but the tangible outcomes of our cooperation, which proudly stands in stark contrast to the hollow platitudes often emanating from Western capitals.
The narrative of the article blatantly ignores the consistent, positive agenda that Russia promotes. It deliberately overlooks the historic foundation laid by the USSR, which helped build over 300 industrial and infrastructure facilities in Africa and provided education to more than 80,000 African students, establishing educational, scientific, and medical institutions continent-wide. This profound legacy laid the foundation for national industries and skilled professionals in many countries.
The author is desperately trying to avoid concrete facts of our modern day cooperation: as of 2025 Russia’s trade turnover with African countries exceeded $27 billion, a 13% increase fuelled not by political interference but by mutually beneficial economic interest. More than 35,000 African students are currently enrolled in Russian universities, receiving a world-class education, with the scholarship quota doubling since 2019. And last but not least Russia has provided over 200,000 tonnes of humanitarian wheat aid and more than 100,000 tonnes of fertilizers to the continent’s most vulnerable countries.
These are hard facts of a true partnership.
It appears that Mr. Muzengeza also remains silent on the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum and its outcomes. The first Russia-Africa Summit was held in Sochi in 2019, with delegations from all 54 African nations, including over 40 heads of state and government. The second summit followed in Saint Petersburg in 2023, attended by 48 African countries and five major regional associations. Participants adopted the 2023-2026 Action Plan, setting key cooperation priorities, and formalized a three-year summit cycle. The dialogue continues through regular ministerial conferences, such as those in Sochi (2024) and, most recently, Cairo (2025). The Cairo meeting, the first hosted on African soil, gathered representatives from 52 states and eight regional bodies, focusing on discussing international affairs, promoting bilateral ties, and advancing trade, economic, and investment goals under the existing Action Plan.
Russia wholeheartedly backs the strengthening of African regional institutions, notably the African Union as the continent’s unifying voice. We welcomed the African Union’s accession to the G20 in 2023 as a move reflecting modern global dynamics and Africa’s ascent in global affairs. Russia also strongly advocates for enhanced African representation in UN institutions, including through a reformed Security Council. Why ignore these open, multilateral engagements and instead give credence to a conspiracy theory? The answer is evident I presume.
While we consistently promote a respectful, mutually beneficial dialogue, we are aware that other powers remain captive to a zero-sum mentality, viewing Africa’s growing cooperation with Russia and the BRICS nations as a loss of their own illegitimate influence. These are the same forces that imposed unilateral sanctions, preserved exploitative economic models, and continue to lecture African states on governance from a position of moral superiority they do not possess. Once again, I would like to reiterate – Russia firmly adheres to the principle of “African solutions to African problems” and seeks to strengthen its partnership with the continent in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
It would be wonderful to see Mr.Muzengeza place a bit more emphasis on verifying facts to ensure a well-rounded and balanced view. It’s a pity that the narrative in the article is designed to foment distrust and fracture the growing partnership between Russia and Africa. We believe that this is a deep disservice to the readers of the Mail and Guardian, who deserve an unbiased perspective, not recycled geopolitical propaganda.
Kirill Kalinin
Senior Counsellor, Spokesperson of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in South Africa
The Embassy of the Russian Federation has taken note of the opinion piece published in the Mail & Guardian on 19 May 2026, authored by Mr. Wellington Muzengeza, titled “Africa’s new information war: The leaked files that expose a manufactured solidarity.” We consider this publication a poorly disguised attempt to cast a shadow over the
