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'Very Interesting Geopolitical Moment:' Africa as Bloc Becoming Lot More Assertive, Expert Says

The UNSC recently conducted an open debate focusing on enhancing the involvement of African nations in tackling worldwide security and development issues. Speaking at the debate, the deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN urged the global community to address the longstanding issue of Africa's inadequate representation in the council.
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We are witnessing "a very interesting geopolitical moment where Africa as a bloc is becoming a lot more assertive," Chido Mutangadura-Yeswa, Senior Fellow at the UN University Centre for Policy Research, told Sputnik Africa.
"Many African countries are really beginning to look into diversifying their partnerships. So not only even with BRICS countries, but you also see that there's also been quite a big push for African countries to enhance their relationships with each other," she said.
The expert of Zimbabwean origin, who now works in Kenya, added that African countries want to find more sustainable solutions to the continent's monetary position.
"The really big challenge with the US dollar is that it has left African countries really at the mercy of the bullish nature of the currency itself," she noted.
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Speaking about Russia-Tanzania relations, she cited the countries' new agreement on direct flights, signed on June 19.
She noted that under the document, Tanzania has access to three Russian ports, which is "an increase from the previous agreement where they only had access to Moscow."

"On the Russian side, where the previous agreement only allowed access to the capital, [...] there is direct access to [Tanzania's cities of] Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Kilimanjaro. This latest agreement also introduces court-sharing provisions to help optimize airline yields," she highlighted.

The expert also underlined that Soviet support for the decolonization movement in Africa has ensured Russia's "cordial" relationship with the continent.