Dozens of people turned up for the first-ever meeting of the International Russophile Movement (MIR), the first to be held on the African continent. It took place today in South Africa’s financial capital Sandton, Johannesburg, the same that hosted the historic BRICS` summit in 2023, resulting in the expansion of the strategic bloc from only five to 11 members.
Organizers of the conference that sought to forge global solidarity explained the MIR’s objectives to hold the inaugural conference on the African soil as follows:
“In Africa, the Russophile Movement has already gained broad base. This is not an alliance against someone, but a union for building a better world, in which Russia, as well as China, India, and Islamic countries, are ready to help form other poles with all their might.”
They elaborated: “The African pole is in the centre of attention today. That is why the best representatives of the world intellectual elite, and, above all, the best representatives of the African intellectual, cultural, political and economic elite, have been invited to discuss Africa’s place in the multipolar world.” They concluded by stating that “Russia and Africa are friends and partners in building a better future, a future that we are creating together here and now.”
The Global South Media Network sat down with one of the conference organizers, Mr Botsang Moiloa, a well-known South African activist and socio-political commentator. He explained:
“The Russophiles are basically the friends of Russia. It’s people who are resisting in order to de-mystify this whole thing about Russiaphobia. That’s why they are becoming the friends of Russia and saying: But what is Russia – the cultural history of Russia, the cultural background, the historical background, the language as well as the history of Russia that is not talked of in the normal mainstream media, that is not written in the normal mainstream newspapers and so forth, for our kids to have access to.”
He continued: “Historically we know the history of the Soviet Union, including even the current Russian state towards the African countries. The role they played towards de-colonizing Africa and helping Africa militarily during the liberation struggle of various African countries. So, what we are trying to do with this process now is to establish its leg in Africa. It has been existing for three years,” said Moiloa, who also addressed the conference.
