Prem7 Feb 2023 20:57
And still, they keep coming, coming for lithium.
BELARUSIAN President Alexander Lukashenko this week traveled 7 982 kilometers, the distance by air from his capital Minsk to Harare, in his first sub-Saharan visit to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa for critical talks on bilateral issues and contracts involving his cronies, but the big deal was the country’s natural resources particularly “white gold” – lithium.
Diplomatic sources who closely followed the visit of a ruler dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” told The NewsHawks that while a lot of issues were discussed during Lukashenko’s visit, the lithium rush was the pull factor for a leader who had no strong ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa until now.
Before opening the new Zimbabwean frontier, Belarus’ sphere of influence was in the Nubian region covering Egypt and Sudan.
“Lukashenko was in Zimbabwe for the first time – and indeed it was his first visit in sub-Saharan Africa – for bilateral relations, business deals, and geopolitical reasons. The two countries signed eight agreements in various sectors, bringing them to 20, but the real deal was lithium. It was agreed between Mnangagwa and Lukashenko in private talks,” a source said.
Who next??
Acker