David John Francis, Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, speaking to Invest Foresight, commented on the specifics and prospects of relations between Russia and African states.
“It is a very important moment for the Russia-Africa cooperation. Historically, Russia or the Soviet Union have been very strong and reliable partners for Africa. In the 70s and the 80s the Soviet Union supported decolonization of Africa. In my own country, Sierra Leone, the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation have been very supportive of Sierra Leone and the people of Sierra Leone during the civil war and Ebola crisis, they have always stood by Sierra Leone,” Chief Minister pointed out.
According to David Francis, “There has been a longtime partnership between the Soviet Union/Russia and Africa. We welcome initiatives to do our best to rebuild a new strong and credible partnership between Africa and Russia. This new partnership should be based on something different. It should not be like China in Africa. China only came to Africa because the Soviet Union left Africa.”
“What Russia can do in Africa as it is doing in Sierra Leone, it is not just taking out mineral ore and resources, it is performing expansion and investment in bauxite area. What they are doing, they are adding value to the country, not just exploiting the resources, but also developing infrastructure of the country. Most other countries do not do that. They extract raw materials and export them, but Russia builds facilities. That is a successful model,” Chief Minister Francis said.