In a gesture of humanitarian support, Russia has delivered 50,000 tons of grain to the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a report from the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Friday.
Moscow’s ambassador to CAR, Alexander Bikantov, emphasized that this provision of Russian grain aims to alleviate the pressing food challenges faced by the country, particularly in light of the increased refugee influx from neighboring Chad and Sudan.
The initiative to supply free grain shipments to six African nations, including CAR, was part of Russia’s commitment following its withdrawal from a U.N.-backed agreement in July 2023.
This agreement had previously facilitated the secure wartime transportation of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. Russia’s decision to exit the deal led to a series of bombings on Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine successfully established an alternative Black Sea export corridor, enabling the shipment of approximately 4.8 million metric tons of foodstuffs in December.
