EXPERT COMMENT
African leaders who went to St Petersburg expecting tangible results from Putin's promised new programme of support for Africa will undoubtedly have concluded that Russia is unable to offer what they need.
Of the 49 African countries that sent delegations to St Petersburg for the second Russia-Africa summit on 27-28 July, only 17 heads of state attended. This is down significantly from the first such summit in 2019 - and much lower than the number of leaders who attended the December 2022 US-Africa summit.
At the 2019 summit, Putin had sought to rekindle relations established during the Cold War and pledged to double trade with African countries to $40 billion in five years - but trade has stalled at $18 billion. This time, Moscow pledged to wipe out debts worth $23 billion and announced military cooperation agreements with over 40 African countries.
Building a closer relationship with Burkina Faso's leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, also appears to have been a priority for Moscow as it seeks to deepen its engagement in the country. Putin met with Traore on the sidelines of the summit and Traore was also one of a handful of African leaders who attended the annual naval parade in St Petersburg with Putin after the summit.
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