World
Africans Have Sympathy for Ukraine—Tafesse
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In this snapshot interview conducted by our media executive Kestér Kenn Klomegâh with Professor Zenebe Kinfu Tafesse, a Senior Lecturer at the Moscow International University, President of the Union of African Diasporas (UAD) and Leader of the Ethiopian Community in Russia, he discusses the current Russia-African relations, the significance of the emerging new world order, the forthcoming Russia-Africa summit planned for July 2023 as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, which enters its first year on Friday, February 24. Here are the interview excerpts:
How would you characterize the emerging new global order or alternative called a multipolar world? Do you think this is good for Africa?
The impression is striking of a flashback to the West-Russia tensions that characterized the second half of the 20th century, from the aftermath of World War II until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The two rival camps are beginning to openly sketch out the comparison, although observers note significant differences. The developments are reminiscent of the first Cold war – the confrontation between the East and the West.
It seems to me that until a new global order was formed, which everyone is talking about, there was the USA and the USSR and the rest, and now the USA and China. Of course, China is not such a virtual player as the USSR, but now rather increasingly becoming an economic power. China has done a lot for developing countries; therefore, sooner or later, it will become one of the global players… the rest of the new players are regional and are still developing. There is always rivalry in geopolitics. Developing countries, especially in Africa, value the non-interference stance of Russia and China, so if Western countries were to affirm a less moralistic foreign policy, they could shift the balance of power in their favour.
Why do you think China and Russia can lead this new direction in dividing the world? What do China and Russia have in common in Africa?
China is perceived favourably by African policymakers because it represents the aspirations of the developing world. Meanwhile, both China and Russia have greater legitimacy in Africa, considering that they did not possess a colonial empire in the region. The noticeable difference is that Russia’s investment in Africa is not up to the scale of China. Furthermore, it seems that they are not exactly allies or competitors. Now, in my opinion, they are more like-minded about their views on some things, of course, China has a goal and a plan to become one of the leaders in the world, but Russia has not seen this yet (except for the official statements of some politicians).
Do you agree with the opinion of the general public that the global crisis was started by both American President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin? And, in particular, what does Africa gain from the Russian-Ukrainian crisis?
I disagree regarding the global crisis; this is a long-standing problem of the centre and periphery of the world. These are financial and market distribution problems. It is a production problem and related to corruption problems of demography. In the end, this is the problem of the lack of faith (trust) when the consciousness of humanity approaches (it happened, the information 21st century opened our eyes to all of us), the problem of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis is a problem of humanity, from which, I hope, all strong and weak countries will learn lessons for the future – but in general, after Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv on February 20, I think a serious conflict between the US and Russia has already begun.
Obviously, Africa is currently divided primarily due to two main factors: American politics and hegemony and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. How are these two factors affecting (influencing) the unity of Africa?
In practical reality, Africa is not divided. According to the majority, it maintains a neutral position. Africans, for sure, understand that both the West and Russia have their own geopolitical interests, but at the same time, they understand that Ukraine has suffered. It seems to me that Africans have sympathy for Ukraine, their attitudes and perceptions are different, glaringly indicating that it’s a normal situation. I would like to remind you that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has, several times, explained Russia’s position – that it is a balance of geopolitical interests, and this forms the core of Russia’s foreign policy. Many people believe that it is imperative to consolidate intra-African solidarity and unity in the context of these global changes, which are marked by worrying uncertainties and could have unforeseeable consequences for Africa.
What can you say about the main trends and directions of Russia’s interaction with Africa over the past few years? So, what can be expected from the next July summit for Africa?
I think there are many expected changes, such as the New Concept of Russia-African policy relations, financial relations, and state investment in Africa and Russia. The most significant positive sign is that Russia has moved from its low-key strategy to vigorous relations. But Russia still needs to find a strategy that reflects the practical interests of Russian business and African development needs, especially in the areas of industry and agriculture. The previous joint declaration has offered the road map, and now Russia has to do more to capitalize on diverse opportunities to increase economic cooperation. Of course, the forthcoming African leaders’ summit is not enough to make all decisions on various aspects of relations with Africa. But if there is a desire of the Russian state, then this will be a platform for future dialogue.
Do you also agree that Russia, at least compared to other external players, has achieved little in Africa over the past decade? What were the main problems and pitfalls in its policy towards Africa?
With the emerging new world order, it is an opportunity to move towards Africa, although many countries largely continue to have the most extensive relationships with their former colonial powers. Africa is described as rich, with enormous untapped resources. From the interpretation of developments on the side of Russia during the past few years, one can smartly agree with the fact that little has been achieved in Africa. There were many official statements, though, acknowledging this level of low performance and economic weaknesses in Africa.
On the other hand, Russia, exactly similar to the USSR, has given great emphasis or special focus on a few African countries, such as Egypt and South Africa, with reference, for instance, to Algeria and Angola and a few other countries, except for the military-technical cooperation. One point which has been overlooked or underestimated is that Russia can boost its relations by using highly trained African graduates with various academic disciplines to build links with Africa.
We have seen the level of bilateral relations in the sphere of trade, and it’s interesting to note that Russia cannot be compared with other external countries trading with Africa. I think it is important for Russia to prioritise the qualitative expansion of trade and economic cooperation. It may consider raising its economic and trade profiles with Africa in future, but Russia has not yet set such goals, in practical terms, for itself over the past 30 years.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For transforming cross-border payments through its deployment with Global Money Exchange, Comviva has been named Best In-Class Cross Border Payments.
The global leader in digital transformation solutions clinched this latest accolade at the IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Innovation Award 2025.
The recognition highlights how Comviva’s mobiquity Pay is helping shape a modern cross-border payment ecosystem that stretches far beyond conventional remittance services.
Deployed as a white label Wallet Platform and launched as Global Pay Oman App, it fulfils GMEC’s dual vision—positioning itself as an innovative payment service provider while digitally extending its core money transfer business.
The solution allows GMEC to offer international money transfers alongside seamless forex ordering and other services. These capabilities sit alongside a broad suite of everyday financial services, including bill and utility payments, merchant transactions, education-related payments, and other digital conveniences — all delivered through one unified experience.
“This award is a testament to Oman’s accelerating digital transformation and our commitment to reshaping how cross-border payments serve people and businesses across the Sultanate.
“By partnering with Comviva and bringing the Global Pay Oman Super App, we have moved beyond traditional remittance services to create a truly inclusive and future-ready financial ecosystem.
“This innovation is not only enhancing convenience and transparency for our customers but is also supporting Oman’s broader vision of building a digitally empowered economy,” the Managing Director at Global Money Exchange, Subromoniyan K.S, said.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Comviva, Mr Rajesh Chandiramani, said, “Cross-border payments are becoming a daily necessity, not a niche service, particularly for migrant and trade-linked economies.
“This recognition from IBS Intelligence validates our focus on building payment platforms that combine global reach with local relevance, operational resilience and a strong user experience. The deployment with Global Money Exchange Co. demonstrates how mobiquity® Pay enables financial institutions to move beyond remittances and deliver integrated digital services at scale.”
“The deployment of mobiquity Pay for GMEC showcases how scalable, API-driven digital wallet platforms can transform cross-border payments into seamless, value-rich experiences.
“By integrating remittances, bill payments, forex services, and AI-powered engagement into a unified Super App, Comviva has reimagined customer journeys and operational agility.
“This Best-in-Class Cross-border Payments award win stands as a testament to Comviva’s excellence in enabling financial institutions to compete and grow in a digitally convergent world,” the Director for Research and Digital Properties at IBS Intelligence, Nikhil Gokhale, said.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
At the end of an extensive consultation with African foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized that Moscow would advance its economic engagement across Africa, admittedly outlining obstacles delaying the prompt implementation of several initiatives set forth in Strategic Action Plan (2023-2026) approved in St. Petersburg during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The second Ministerial Conference, by the Russian Foreign Ministry with support from Roscongress Foundation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
In Cairo, the capital city of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Lavrov read out the final resolution script, in a full-packed conference hall, and voiced strong confidence that Moscow would achieve its strategic economic goals with Africa, with support from the African Union (AU) and other Regional Economic blocs in the subsequent years. Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, combined with geopolitical conditions inside the African continent, Moscow however reiterated its position to take serious steps in finding pragmatic prospects for mutual cooperation and improve multifaceted relations with Africa, distinctively in the different sectors: in trade, economic and investment spheres, education and culture, humanitarian and other promising areas.
The main event was the plenary session co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad Bashar Abdelathi. Welcome messages from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdelhak Sisi were read.
And broadly, the meeting participants compared notes on the most pressing issues on the international and Russian-African agendas, with a focus on the full implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved at the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in 2023.
In addition, on the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov held talks with his African counterparts, and a number of bilateral documents were signed. A thematic event was held with the participation of Russian and African relevant agencies and organizations, aimed at unlocking the potential of trilateral Russia-Egypt-Africa cooperation in trade, economic, and educational spheres.
With changing times, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of a multipolar world order. It is experiencing a second awakening. Following their long-ago political independence, African countries are increasingly insisting on respect for their sovereignty and their right to independently manage their resources and destiny. Based on these conditions, it was concluded that Moscow begins an effective and comprehensive work on preparing a new three-year Cooperation and Joint Action Plan between Russia and Africa.
Moreover, these important areas of joint practical work are already detailed in the Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and will serve as an important guideline for future work. According to reports, the Joint Statement reflects the progress of discussions on international and regional issues, as well as matters of global significance.
Following the conference, the Joint Statement adopted reflects shared approaches to addressing challenges and a mutual commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation with a view to ensuring high-quality preparation for the third Russia-Africa Summit in 2026.
On December 19-20, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was held for the first time on the African continent, attended by heads and representatives of the foreign policy ministries of 52 African states and the executive bodies of eight regional integration associations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Social media platform, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with United States and global investors to operate its business in America.
Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive, Mr Shou Zi Chew.
The deal, which is set to close on January 22, 2026 would end years of efforts by the US government to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
It is in line with a deal unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.
In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will hold 15 per cent each.
Another 30.1 per cent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors, according to the memo.
The White House previously said that Oracle, which was co-founded by President Trump’s supporter Larry Ellison, will license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as part of the deal.
The deal comes after a series of delays.
Business Post reported in April 2024 that the administration of President Joe Biden passed a law to ban the app over national security concerns, unless it was sold.
The law was set to go into effect on January 20, 2025 but was pushed back multiple times by President Trump, while his administration worked out a deal to transfer ownership.
President Trump said in September that he had spoken on the phone to China’s President Xi Jinping, who he said had given the deal the go ahead.
The platform’s future remained unclear after the leaders met face to face in October.
The app’s fate was clouded by ongoing tensions between the two nations on trade and other matters.
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