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♦️ Breaking & exclusive stories, analysis, opinions 👉 About Africa in other languages: Amharic: @sputnik_ethiopia French: @sputnik_afrique 💬 Contact us https://t.me/Africa_Sputnik_bot
Major World Events by Morning of May 12
🟠 US and China will reduce mutual punitive tariffs by 115 percentage points;
🟠 First Afrikaner refugees from South Africa are arriving in the US;
🟠 Poland announces closure of Russian consulate, Moscow pledges "appropriate response";
🟠 The Kurdistan Workers' Party announced Monday that it has disbanded after more than four decades of existence;
🟠 Russian army receives new batch of modern Su-35S fighter jets.
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Russian East Battlegroup Commandos Enhance Combat Skills in Training Exercises
🪖 The video was filmed at a training ground located behind the rear area of the Russian special military operation, according to the MoD.
This exercise by the Phoenix detachment involves:
▪️ infantry fighting vehicles,
▪️ tanks,
▪️ mortars, and
▪️ automatic grenade launchers.
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#viral | Meet the Feathered Assistant From the Moscow Zoo!
🦜 This remarkably clever parrot definitely knows how to clean up... Maybe even better than some people we know!
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❗️❗️❗️'I Learned Many Lessons From This Celebration' in Moscow, Says Ibrahim Traoré
The President of Burkina Faso highlighted the similarities between the Soviet people's sacrifice—losing 27 million lives to defeat Nazism—and the resilience of the Burkinabè people in the face of terrorism.
Despite the losses, "we will not give up, because we know that we will achieve victory," he affirmed in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
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❗️❗️❗️Russia is ‘One of the Few Countries’ Helping Burkina Faso With Arms, Says Ibrahim Traoré
"Aside from Russia and China, there’s no one else. In fact, elsewhere it's even worse — we try to pay, but they refuse to sell to us," noted Burkinabé President Ibrahim Traoré in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
"We want to continue developing our own military industry with Russia’s support. We must strengthen this cooperation so we can move forward in our fight," concluded the leader.
📹Scott Ritter: Putin's peace push 'cannot be undermined'
💬 “What Vladimir Putin did is not only put” the concept of peace “on the table theoretically, he did so in a practical manner,” the ex-US Marine Corps intelligence officer told Sputnik.
💬 “It cannot be undermined. All it can do is reinforce the reality that Ukraine, its Western sponsors and the United States aren’t serious about peace.”
❗️❗️❗️Ukraine 'Must Return to Reason to Negotiate and Reach Peace,' Traoré Urges
President Erdogan attempted a peace dialogue in 2022, but the West pushed Ukraine to refuse, the President of Burkina Faso stated in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
According to him, Ukraine was manipulated to "weaken Russia." Hatred and Russophobia were cultivated among the Ukrainian population, even though the two peoples were "brothers" during the Soviet era, the president noted.
"Russia will emerge even stronger from this war. I think they [Ukrainians] must understand this and return to reason, engage in negotiations, and reach peace," he concluded.
❗️Ukraine Should Immediately Agree to Putin's Proposed Talks in Turkey, Trump Says
"President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on social media.
Breaking Barriers: Why Investing in African Women Entrepreneurs is Key to Growth
Currently, women entrepreneurs account for 70–80% of cross-border traders in the COMESA region, CEO of COMESA federation of Women in Business Chikakula Miti told Sputnik Africa.
"Once women are provided with capital and also the environment is enhanced to enable them to participate fully, they will be able to contribute significantly, and it will reduce the capital flight that we are seeing in Africa," the official pointed out.
🗣Ritter: Putin’s peace bid ‘seizes the initiative’ from Ukraine, West
💬 “This is a brilliant act of diplomatic and political strategy by Vladimir Putin,” the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer told Sputnik.
💬 “Now Russia has the initiative and Russia has the moral high ground. There will be no more talk about 30-day artificial ceasefires. Ukraine either has to put up or shut up.”
#viral | Heavy Hailstorms Hit Spain’s Valencia Region
The Secretary of Emergencies and Interior for the Valencian Community, Irene Rodríguez, urged caution as a new round of heavy rain and storms—potentially including hail—begins, according to local media.
"Accumulations could reach up to 40 liters per square meter in the interior areas of the province of Valencia, where an orange alert has been issued," she emphasized.
◾️ Fearless John - @European_dissident is a free lance journalist covering geopolitical conflicts of the "new cold war" between the main world powers.
◾️His channel focuses on exposing war crimes and the manipulation and propaganda of the Western media and is full of subtitled videos and posts about the wars in Ukraine, Israel and the different issues affecting the relations between countries like migration crisis and Western neo-colonial practices.
◾️Follow:
/channel/European_dissident
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Multipolarity in Motion: How Russia's Leverage in Global Diplomacy is Growing, Mexican IR Experts Assess
"Vladimir Putin has more room for maneuver in negotiations," Carlos Manuel Lopez Alvarado of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) told Sputnik.
"Putin feels confident, first and foremost, in the position of someone who can make proposals reflecting his own perspective," the expert said.
Putin's Proposal Signals Russia's Openness to Direct, Unmediated Dialogue With Ukraine
Vladimir Putin's proposal for peace talks with Ukraine without preconditions counters a European 30-day ceasefire ultimatum, Christelle Neant, a French war correspondent in Donbass, told Sputnik Africa.
"Putin is addressing Kiev directly, which is extremely striking. In other words, he no longer addresses Ukraine’s Western bosses, but speaks directly to Ukraine itself," the journalist emphasized.
"Russia is extending a hand to Kiev to try to resolve the conflict before it ends in Ukraine’s unconditional surrender later, when its entire army will simply be destroyed," she added.
From World War II to Mine Clearance in Algeria: Fate of a Russian Veteran, Part 2
Andrey Yakovlevich Pavlenko, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, a retired colonel, participated in demining the territory of Algeria in the 1960s.
In an interview with Sputnik, the Soviet sapper spoke about the difficulties they encountered during the unique humanitarian operation, the warm welcome from the Algerians, and shared his opinion on bilateral relations today.
#Victory80
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#viral | Breathtaking Sunset Solar Halo Filmed Above Russia’s Yenisei Gulf
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Egyptian Troops March in Russia's May 9th Parade: A Symbol of Close Military Ties Between Cairo and Moscow
"There is currently strategic cooperation between Egypt and Russia in the military field. The participation of the Egyptian army in the parade reflects this," Nourhan El-Sheikh, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, told Sputnik.
Putin, Trump, Erdogan Can Steer Ukraine Conflict to Peace Agreement, US Economist Sachs Says
Trump has a "far more accurate" understanding of the Ukrainian conflict than his predecessor Biden did, Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told Sputnik.
The economist said he was, therefore, "cautiously optimistic," adding that Trump wanted to stop the conflict, which would be in the best interest of the US, Europe, Russia, and Ukraine.
On Sunday, Ukraine's Zelensky agreed to meet President Putin in Turkey on Thursday, an hour after Trump urged Ukraine to immediately accept Russia's peace talks proposal.
Putin suggested overnight that Kiev and Moscow resume direct talks without any preconditions in Istanbul on Thursday to address the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict.
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❗️❗️❗️Torture, Exploitation, Dehumanization: ‘If Nazism Had Won, It Would Have Been a Catastrophe,’ Says Traoré
"It was madness in the world. It was a crucial struggle, and Africa took part in it," Burkinabè leader Ibrahim Traoré told Sputnik Africa after attending the Victory Day military parade in Moscow.
"No one lost as many lives, no one endured such destruction during the war as the Soviet people. Therefore, we are grateful, and I believe their victory was necessary for the world to exist as it does today — and for Africa to hope to continue forward."
❗️❗️❗️Ibrahim Traoré Declares War on Criminals Supported by the West
Armed groups in Burkina Faso have been equipped "by imperialists to destabilize us, keep us locked in perpetual war and exploitation," declared the country's President to Sputnik Africa.
The authorities are working to make Burkina Faso the "tomb of terrorism" and are counting on support from Moscow.
"As for Russia, what we mostly ask for is intellectual support — helping us build our military industry through training, and helping educate our youth on everything we need to develop to face this war."
Volodymyr Zelensky Says He Would Wait for Vladimir Putin in Türkiye
The Russian President had previously proposed resuming Russian-Ukrainian negotiations without preconditions with Kiev on May 15 in Istanbul.
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#viral | 'Have You Eaten My Seeds?!' – 'Leave Me Alone, I Didn’t Touch Them!'
A hilarious video of two quarrelling marmots causing a traffic jam in China is going viral on social media.
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Through Defense Diplomacy Russia Builds Bridges With Africa and Beyond During Victory Day Celebrations
⦁ Moscow hosted about 20 defense-related talks with military officials from African, Asian, Middle Eastern and CIS countries.
⦁ Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has held meetings with defense chiefs from Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Libya among others.
⦁ The discussions focused on regional security, military education, and joint combat training.
⦁ Russian Deputies— Gen. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Col.-Gen. Alexander Fomin— met the leadership of the defense agencies of South Africa, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and other countries to discuss military cooperation and technical collaboration.
⦁ South African defense delegation, led by minister Angie Motshekga, visited a Russian military educational institution for women.
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Europe's War Fatigue: Some Nations Oppose Endless Conflict Over Economic & Political Cost Concerns
"Zelensky has practically no room for maneuver, as Ukraine is facing a nuclear-armed power with a strong conventional army," Algerian security expert Ahmad Mizab told Sputnik.
"If Zelensky continues to reject any negotiations without preconditions, the consequences could be dire: an intensifying internal crisis in Ukraine and a further cooling of Western support for Kiev," he pointed out.
❗️Russia does not agree with the idea of deploying European "peacekeepers" in Ukraine, the Kremlin states
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Addis Ababa Collects Over 1.2 Billion Birrs From Waste Recycling
💰This amount, equivalent to 9 million dollars, was generated over the past nine months, according to the city's sanitation agency.
🗣 Significant efforts have been made in recent years to transform waste into valuable resources, said Ato Mulat Tegen, Deputy General Director of the office.
According to him, significant changes have been observed in waste management and disposal following the legalization of associations and the establishment of a subsidy system.
♻️ Currently, more than 334 associations are involved in recycling activities, with 53 engaged in the production of natural fertilizers.
AI-generated image
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Ibrahim Traoré returns to Ouagadougou after a significant visit to Moscow
Upon his arrival on Sunday, he was welcomed by the Prime Minister, his collaborators, and the Russian ambassador to Burkina Faso.
👇His stay in the Russian capital included several notable events:
🟡Ibrahim Traoré attended the military parade on Red Square,
🟡He met with Vladimir Putin,
🟡The president gave a lecture for students at a prestigious Moscow university,
🟡Traoré held discussions with ministers of the AES regarding security in the Sahel.
🟡Additionally, the captain granted an exclusive interview to Sputnik Africa, excerpts of which have already been published.
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Sputnik is 'Voice of the Voiceless': Chief of SA National Defense Force
"This is an avenue that will now be open for all of us to get objective reporting that is not biased, reporting of things as they happened. That is now going to be the voice of the voiceless," General Rudzani Maphwanya told Sputnik Africa.
Maduro Supports Putin's Idea of Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul
Both countries need direct dialogue without outside interference, the Venezuelan president added.
"We must embark on a peaceful path, a path of just peace... Russia has the right to peace, and other countries also have the right to peace."
Zelensky Rejects Putin's Proposal in Order to Stay Alive, Ex-Pentagon Analyst Says
"Zelensky does not want to meet only alone with Mr. Putin. He's been relying on the European countries," Michael Maloof, former senior security policy analyst at the Pentagon, told Sputnik.
"If he [Zelensky] decides to go ahead and... negotiate something, first of all, I question whether he'll be allowed to do that," he pointed out.