African leaders arrive in St. Petersburg to attend Russia summit

African leaders have begun to arrive in Saint Petersburg ahead of the second Russia-Africa Summit which begins on Thursday.

Some 50 African delegations and 17 heads of state will take part in the two-day summit and economic forum.

The top issues expected to be discussed are food security and the Wagner military group's involvement on the continent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has billed the two-day summit that opens Thursday in St. Petersburg as a major event that would help bolster ties with a continent of 1.3 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage.

“Today, Africa is asserting itself more and more confidently as one of the poles of the emerging multipolar world,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin. “The forum will provide a further boost to our political and humanitarian partnership for many years to come.”

With the war in Ukraine ongoing, Moscow is also seeking more allies from the region.

The summit may see renewed attempts by African leaders to broker peace with Ukraine.

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