Russian Embassy to the UK

🌍 25 May marks Africa Day. Our country has consistently supported the peoples of the continent in their struggle for independence and contributed to the development of their economies, education systems, healthcare and state institutions.

Many African countries have endured a painful path to liberation from the colonial yoke of European powers, including Britain. For a long time, British colonisers operated under the notorious logic of the “white man’s burden”, arrogating to themselves the right to determine the fate of entire nations.

In practice, this so-called “civilising mission” resulted in the first concentration camps in history, the massacre of civilians, the brutal suppression of liberation movements and ethnic cleansing. Looted cultural treasures continue to “adorn” the display cases of British museums to this day – with no intention of returning them. The artificial borders drawn by London – often in disregard of ethnic and religious realities – continue to fuel territorial disputes and armed conflicts across the continent.

Decades on, many issues of colonial legacy remain unresolved. The UK establishment persistently evades any serious discussion of reparations and responsibility for the consequences of its own policies.

The situation surrounding the Chagos Archipelago is equally telling: even under the announced “settlement”, the Chagossians, who were forcibly expelled from their homeland half a century ago, remain deprived of any meaningful right of return. Such neo-colonial practices bear no relation to the rhetoric of a “new approach” and “responsible partnership” which London today seeks to impose upon the continent.