Russia’s Vladimir Putin has written off Somalia’s $690 million debt to Russia at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. This follows the decision by President Putin writing off over $20 billion in African countries’ debt. This includes: Angola ($3.5 billion), Ethiopia ($5 billion), Algeria ($5.7 billion) and Libya ($4.5 billion).
This follows on the other major agreements signed with African countries at the ongoing Russia-Africa Summit in areas of security, technology and humanitarian sectors, including pledging to provide free grain to six other African countries.
Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea will each receive 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain, the Russian leader said. Moscow will also cover the delivery costs of the shipments, he added.
In addition, Zimbabwe’s President Emerson Mnangagwa has received a personal helicopter as a gift from President Putin.
