Sierra Leone Minister Calls Out Former Colonial Powers for Disregarding African Realities
18:30 27.11.2023 (Updated: 18:43 27.11.2023)
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Sierra Leone's Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Julius Mattai arrived in Moscow to participate in a conference on sustainable development at the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN). Mattai also met with his Russian counterpart and other senior officials, as well as representatives of leading Russian mining firms.
Former Western colonial powers continue to "dictate" in a way that sometimes seems to disregard the realities and aspirations of the African people, Julius Mattai, Sierra Leone's minister of mines and mineral resources, told Sputnik Africa in an interview.
Drawing on Sierra Leone's historical context as a former British colony, the minister articulated the evolution of colonial influences into contemporary neocolonial dynamics, describing how former colonial powers continue to exert indirect pressure on African nations.
He highlighted how the relationships established during the colonial era continue to exert influence on the country's development.
"There is a tendency for the well-developed countries, especially, I call it the G7, the G20, to dictate things in ways that sometimes are not in sync with the needs and aspirations of the African countries themselves," Mattai said. "So I do believe some of the ex-colonial countries are still indirectly putting pressure on our governments through democratic reforms and so many other political-economic tools that now the colonialism has morphed into something which some people call neo-colonialism."
The minister highlighted the importance of granting African nations the freedom to chart their own course, driven by their unique cultural and traditional identities, while emphasizing a parallel commitment to respecting others.
"Now we are moving into a multipolar world. And I think it comes with its challenges and opportunities," Mattai stated. "We should be given the respect, we should be given the space and the time to choose our friends, that without any undue pressure to allow us to develop based on our culture, our tradition, whilst we're respecting others as well."
Sustainable Development
Mattai arrived on an official visit to Russia to the Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) in Moscow, where he took part in a conference on sustainable development. The minister's engaging presentation, coupled with his interactions with Russian officials and representatives of leading mining companies, underscored Sierra Leone's strong commitment to sustainable progress in the face of multiple challenges.
Mattai elaborated on the fundamental significance of sustainable development to Sierra Leone and the broader African continent, framing the concept within the dimensions of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. His poignant articulation emphasized the preservation of natural capital and intergenerational equity, encapsulating a proactive vision that seeks to harmonize present development endeavors with the preservation of opportunities for future generations.
The minister's presentation at the conference centered on goal 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations in 2015, focusing on the need to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation— a formidable task for Sierra Leone.
"Sierra Leone is one of the least-developed countries and it's one of those countries very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rising, flooding and other stuff. We are very much aware that these sort of discussions that the Russian Federation has given us through RUDN to come and have these engaging and very massive discussions give us the opportunity to share ideas," Mattai stated.
Amid the halfway mark in the seven-year SDG timeline, Mattai raised pertinent questions about the realism of the existing goals, particularly in the context of Sierra Leone's 181st ranking out of 191 countries in the last UN Human Development Index. The official implored for meaningful engagement with local, regional, and international partners to assess the achievability of these goals and identify the necessary support required to realize them.
Russia–Sierra Leone Cooperation
With the aim of fostering strategic partnerships, signing agreements and unlocking the potential of the country's mining sector, the Sierra Leonean inister held high-level meetings with key Russian officials and leading mining companies.
The meetings included discussions with the Russian Ministry of Mining and Natural Resources, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Mattai also met with representatives of Russian companies RosGeo, ZarubezhGeologiya, ALROSA and Rusal.
"We actually had a lengthy discussion that though the relationship between Sierra Leone and the Russian Federation, starting from the days of the former Soviet Union, has come over 60 years, we have not really had an opportunity to entice serious Russian investment into the country," the African official said of the meeting with Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov.
In light of this, Minister Mattai highlighted ongoing efforts to attract Russian investment, particularly in cooperation with companies such as RosGeo, whose involvement in airborne geophysical surveys is expected to add significant value to Sierra Leone's mineral exploration and evaluation efforts.
"For so long, Sierra Leone has been known for diamond, gold, iron ore and bauxite. But we do believe, after undertaking the nationwide airborne geophysical survey in 2019 and 2020, there is anecdotal evidence of the discovery of what we normally call the battery, or transitional, or energy minerals. These are the lithium, coltan, nickel, cobalt and monocytes of the rare earth minerals. Yes, a geophysical survey has been done, but we do believe we need further interpretation and we need the expertise of institutions like RosGeo to come and help us drill, do our resource estimates, quantify or estimate our mineral reserves," he told Sputnik Africa.
Notably, Mattai expressed his enthusiasm for the commitment of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to cooperate on both technical and political levels, including mining-related infrastructure.
This commitment has paved the way for the initiation of working groups tasked with drafting a Memorandum of Understanding to be finalized and signed during the upcoming Mining Conference in Saudi Arabia on January 9, 2024.
Furthermore, he highlighted the profound impact of the engagements, not only in governmental realms but also in fostering partnerships with Alrosa, a globally renowned diamond mining company.
"They [Alrosa] have shown interest also to come back to Sierra Leone as well to see how they could actually leverage the mineral resources we have, form a partnership and entice investment into the country. I think that's laudable," the official said.
Referring to the previous interest of Rusal, a prominent player in the bauxite industry, to invest in the West African country and in the context of the current global interest in the mineral, Mattai said the company reiterated its commitment to conduct preliminary pre-feasibility studies in Sierra Leone within the next two weeks.
According to the minister, the move is aimed at exploring opportunities for reinvestment in the bauxite industry and extends to other minerals, with a particular focus on green energy minerals, indicating a broader spectrum of interest beyond bauxite.
The Sierra Leonean minister also noted that the engagement with the Russian Foreign Ministry underpinned a broader impetus for cultural exchange and knowledge sharing between Sierra Leone and Russia, with an agreement reached on the establishment of a Russian House in Sierra Leone.
Additionally, he noted that the fruitful collaboration with the People's Friendship University of Russia has yielded concrete outcomes, exemplified by the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the health sector for the purpose of training Sierra Leonean medical students.
"So, I do believe we got quite a lot and we do believe we can also reciprocate," Minister Mattai concluded. "Yes, it's a mutually beneficial relationship, but we do believe we'll get more from the Russian Federation."
