The 2nd Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg has invited only those African states that enjoy official recognition, which shows that Russia unequivocally enshrines the principle that only African nations recognised by the United Nations (UN) are allowed to participate. This is confirmed by all the documents adopted at the end of the summit, in particular the four declarations and the action plan, which clearly and unequivocally enshrine the participation format. Indeed, the introductory paragraph of all these official documents uses the following formula: "We, the heads of state and government of the Russian Federation and the African states recognised by the United Nations (in other words, the Russian Federation and the African states) and representatives of the African Union and leading African integration organisations". AFP/FADEL SENNA - Around Western SaharaThis principle, solemnly enshrined in the official working documents of this major Russian-African meeting, clearly and definitively establishes that only the 54 UN-recognised member states of the African Union are members of this summit. In other words, firmness and intransigence on matters of principle is a choice that pays off.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 29, 2023 08:13 UTC