On May 25, the defense ministers of Spain and the U.K.—at one time fierce rivals in the contest to extend the imperial/colonial system in Africa and on a global level—spoke with one voice against the supposedly “unprovoked” actions of Russia in Ukraine. The two were meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Spain on June 29-30. In addition to seeing the Russian threat from the East, both put forward the notion that the threat must also be seen from the South, and that NATO must shift its eyes to Africa as the next battle zone.
The threat as they described it comes from the Russians mobilizing the “migrants weapon,” as it allegedly did in the East, and now in the Global South, by taking the food away, and causing thousands of starving souls to flood the European shores.
According to media coverage, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles declared that it was “very clear” that the Wagner Group was fomenting terrorism in Mali and Libya, and that “NATO cannot remain indifferent in this situation.” British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace pointed to the question of refugees and hunger, saying, “If [Russia] can use migrant flows as a weapon at one end of Europe, they can certainly use it at the other.” He added that “NATO’s strategic concept has to involve the whole of NATO, all the territory it covers through its partnership.”
Whether the irony was noticed by the speakers or not, May 25 was Africa Day, a day that Africans celebrate as Independence Day, with the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (since 2002 the African Union) in 1963. Contrast the approach to that of Russia, which actually held a celebration in Moscow for the event, to which President Vladimir Putin sent greetings (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68474). Congratulating Africa on its accomplishments in the last 49 years, Putin said, “Africa enjoys growing prestige on the global stage and plays an increasingly important role in resolving important issues on the international agenda.” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went further, thanking African nations for their support in the recent Russophobe votes at the UN, and inviting one and all to the upcoming Russia-Africa summit, later this year. (https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1814762/)