Russia's support of African countries with free grain supplies is gratuitous, unlike the support of former colonial masters, who thus pay for the looting of the continent, Professor Fredrick Onyango Ogola, Kenyan expert on governance and economics, told Sputnik Africa.
The expert noted that Russia has never been seen as an exploiter of Africa, unlike, the UK, whose aid to the continent is disproportionate to the plunder of colonial times.
"[...] The UK giving maize or giving wheat or giving any kind of donation to African countries where they colonized, it's like giving back what you took. But we are trying to say they have actually been giving back with a spoon but taking back with a spade. But here is where Russia has given back, whether they have given with a spoon or a spade, they have not taken anything back," Onyango Ogola remarked.
"I think for me, this is significant, let's say friendship, two friendships and someone who means well, that's how we take Russia in this gesture," he added.
In addition, the analyst pointed out that Western countries impose additional conditions on the transfer of grants and aid. Besides, the fact that the UK and other European countries "have classified African countries as middle-income economies" does not allow them to provide many grants, as the focus is on low-income countries, Onyango Ogola said.
In turn, Russia's response to the humanitarian crisis and famine problem through grants and aid means that "people see Russia as more friendly to African countries like Somalia than the West would be," he opined.
"It's better to do business with someone who takes you as an equal rather than the West, who takes Africans as smaller brothers and they are the bigger brothers who give terms and conditions before dealing with Africa. And I think that [Russian delivery] is a welcome move," the expert noted.
In this vein, Onyango Ogola said that "developing countries are safer in the hands of their friends like Russia, India, and China."
The expert noted that such countries as Burkina Faso, Somalia and Mali, who receives Russian grain, are going through very difficult times, and support for their people should not be underestimated.
"If you want to see a peaceful country, when you land in the airport, you see more passenger carriers, planes, which are carrying more people. But if you go to Somalia, you go to Mali, you go to Burkina Faso, their airports look like a war zone. It means that they are still going through a very hard time and this support, whether it has come late or not, is a support," he remarked.
Onyango Ogola concluded that the issue of hunger, as opposed to human rights and justice, is urgent.
Somalia's Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis told Sputnik Africa on Friday that Somalia is "thankful for the delivery of 25,000 tonnes of grain, which will greatly benefit the thousands of Somali people affected by the current floods resulting from El Niño."
In July, Putin announced Moscow's intention to provide grain as humanitarian aid to six African countries on the World Food Program's list.
The first Russian vessels each carrying 25,000 tons of wheat, left for Somalia and Burkina Faso on November 17, Russian Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev said, adding that up to 200,000 tons of Russian wheat will be shipped free of charge to Africa by the end of the year.