Russia Provides 50,000 Tons of Grains to Central African Republic

On Friday, Russia, through its news agency RIA Novosti, reported that Moscow has delivered 50,000 tons of grains to the Central African Republic as humanitarian food assistance.

This aid is intended to address food shortages in the country, especially with the influx of refugees from neighboring Chad and Sudan.

According to Alexander Pikanov, Moscow's Ambassador to the Central African Republic, these Russian grains will play a crucial role in alleviating the food crisis in the nation.

This humanitarian gesture comes as the region faces ongoing challenges exacerbated by the arrival of refugees.

Russia had previously pledged to send free grain shipments to six African countries, including the Central African Republic, after withdrawing from an agreement supported by the United Nations in July 2023.

This agreement allowed for the safe passage of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

Following its withdrawal from the agreement, Russia had repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities through airstrikes.

In response, Ukraine successfully opened an alternative export route through the Black Sea, shipping nearly 4.8 million tons of foodstuffs in December.

On January 19th, the Kremlin confirmed that there was no likelihood of reviving the grain export agreement via the Black Sea. Instead, alternative routes for shipping Ukrainian grain carried significant risks.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, announced on Thursday that negotiations were ongoing regarding the grain export initiative mediated by the United Nations between Kyiv and Moscow. These negotiations had stalled in the summer of 2023.