Former colonial powers still profit from the continent’s resources and much of its wealth flows through systems controlled abroad, the Russian foreign minister has said
Moscow backs Africa’s push for reparations from former colonial powers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said at a reception marking Africa Day in Moscow. Lavrov framed the issue as part of a broader struggle against neocolonialism.
Speaking to African diplomats and officials on Monday, Lavrov argued that former colonial powers continue to profit from the continent’s vast natural resources while African nations remain dependent on foreign-controlled financial and industrial systems.
He welcomed the African Union’s decision to extend its 2025 theme focused on “justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.” According to Lavrov, Moscow sees the campaign as an attempt to restore “historical justice” and eliminate the legacy of colonial rule.
He referred to a recently adopted UN resolution recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.” The measure secured support from 123 countries, including Russia and China, while the US, Israel, and Argentina voted against it, and 52 nations – among them the UK and EU members – abstained.
“Russia fully supports the second awakening of Africa, and the realization by Africans of the urgent need to achieve immediate liberation from the shackles of neocolonialism in its modern forms,” Lavrov said.
The Russian foreign minister also highlighted expanding trade ties, security cooperation, education programs, and diplomatic outreach between Russia and the continent. Russia has opened embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan over the past year, with more missions planned in Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Comoros.
Lavrov also confirmed that Moscow will host the third Russia-Africa Summit in October, saying the Kremlin expects African leaders to approve a new three-year cooperation roadmap.
His remarks came as African countries marked Africa Day, celebrated annually on May 25 to commemorate the founding of the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa in 1963. The occasion honors the continent’s anti-colonial struggles and its long-standing aspirations for political and economic sovereignty.
