Hommam Al Nassim 
About 550 people, Africans and Russians, participated in two separate events in Moscow to celebrate “Africa Day.”
200 people from Moscow University students, African students, representatives of African communities and expatriates, as well as representatives of African diplomatic missions, participated in the first event, as part of strengthening cultural and academic relations between the two parties.
Louis Guend, head of the Cameroonian community in the Russian Federation, said: “Africa Youth Day is being held for the first time, and that among the Russian guests are partners and friends from African communities, as well as people with “passionate hearts” for Africa.”
The head of the Cameroonian community, Gowind, emphasized the great role that Russia plays in educating African students, explaining that Russian interest in the African continent is increasing significantly day after day, as he confirmed that he notices a great and growing interest in Africa on the Russian side.
In a related context, the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the Russian Federation, Aristide Rabjdundba Ludovic Tapsouba, confirmed that relations between Russia and Africa are more positive compared to Western models. Tapsoba explained that previous partnerships with Western countries did not contribute to Africa’s development, while Russia provided tangible technical and educational support.
Tapsoba spoke about one of the main topics of this event, which is “Education and Skills Development in Africa for the 21st Century,” noting that about 3,000 students from Burkina Faso received their education in the Soviet Union and Russia since 1967, which contributed to the development of their country after their return.
In a related context, a celebration was held at the Russian Language Institute at the University of Friendship between Peoples (Rudin) entitled “Russia-Africa, the Bridge of Friendship,” on the occasion of Africa’s Liberation Day, with the participation of 350 international students.
The event included an exhibition entitled “From the Maghreb to the Cape of Good Hope: What do you know about Africa?”, which was dedicated to displaying the traditions and customs of African countries.
Aminata Gajara Dasilva from the Republic of Niger opened the official part of the event, expressing her appreciation for Russia’s assistance in the field of education. Maxim Reva, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the “African Initiative” news agency, also gave a speech in which he referred to the civilized role of the Peoples’ Friendship University in educating African students and building bridges of friendship between Russia and Africa.
The celebration included African and Russian music and dance performances presented by students of the Preparatory College in Roden, and the event concluded with an essay competition entitled “From the Maghreb to the Cape of Good Hope: I want to introduce you to Africa.”
It should be noted that the countries of the African Union have been celebrating African Liberation Day since 1963, which is the day on which the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) was established in Ethiopia with the participation of 32 countries, which marked the beginning of comprehensive cooperation between the countries of the continent after liberation from colonial rule.
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