Interview with the Director of the Institute for African Studies: Modern Colonialism, Africa’s Cultural Code, and Russia-Africa Partnership

Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), member of the RAS Presidium, Corresponding Member of the RAS, Doctor of Economics, and Professor, gave an interview to RT International, where she discussed a number of important issues related to Africa. Among the key topics were modern colonialism, the cultural code of African peoples, and the key areas of partnership between Russia and African countries.

In the interview:

• Who is winning the race for Africa — Russia, the EU, the US, China, or perhaps the Gulf states? What are the differences in their strategies?
• Why do Africans feel a kinship with Russians? And why does African youth love our country so much, despite not having lived through the Soviet era?
• How should Russia build a training system for African professionals, and what can education achieve? (With the example of the President of Ghana.)
• What kind of support do African nations need today to get off the “aid needle” imposed by Western countries?
• Why did Russia forgive the debts of African countries, and why was that not a “waste of money”?
• Why is it beneficial for Western states to have terrorist groups operating in Africa? And what can Russia do about it?
• Plus, the real motives behind Donald Trump's public scolding of the President of South Africa — and several other equally timely questions.

The full interview is available at the following link: https://www.rt.com/shows/rt-interview/620144-abramova-african-continent-...