World Tour: Russia strengthens African ties

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Oduah.

AUDIO: [Camera shutters, conference]

ONIZE ODUAH: Russia-African ministers — We start today in the Russian city of Sochi, where officials wrapped up the first-ever conference with African political ministers.

The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum builds on last year’s Russia-Africa summit and comes after Russia hosted the BRICS summit of emerging economies last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is deepening ties with African nations and other emerging economies—signaling that Western sanctions over the Ukraine war have failed to isolate Russia.

During the weekend conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov read a statement from Putin.

PUTIN: [Speaking Russian]

He says that Russia will continue to support African nations in sustainable development and in fighting terrorism, epidemics, food shortages, and natural disasters.

Russia has also become a primary ally for many of the West African nations that have faced military coups in recent years.

Countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger severed ties with France and have now deepened their partnership with Russia.

Here’s Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré:

TRAORE: [Speaking French]

He says here that cooperation with Russia is better suited to the people of Burkina Faso.

He called Russia a partner with whom Burkina Faso can make progress—adding he has no fear relying on Moscow for military support.

AUDIO: [Chanting protesters]

Amsterdam protest ban — Over in the Netherlands’ capital of Amsterdam, riot police detained dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators Sunday for defying a protest ban.

Authorities instituted the ban after Israeli soccer team supporters were attacked as they left a stadium where Israeli and Dutch soccer clubs competed.

The emergency measures also include increased police deployment and a ban on face masks.

Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands said some 2,000 Israelis left Amsterdam on special flights in the aftermath of the violence.

Here’s Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.

VELDKAMP: A full investigation will take place in the Netherlands on the question if the Dutch authorities, if we, as Dutch authorities, acted properly. So we will evaluate the situation and what happened.

Meanwhile, French and Israeli soccer teams are scheduled to face off in a Thursday match in Paris. French authorities have said they will deploy about 4,000 officers to ensure security around the stadium and on public transportation.

AUDIO: [Ongoing rescue]

Philippines typhoon — In the Philippines, yet another typhoon made landfall on Monday in the country’s northeast.

Typhoon Toraji is the fourth major storm to hit the country in a month.

It brought strong winds and heavy rains to the agricultural region.

Authorities evacuated people from 2,500 villages ahead of the storm.

The past storms have killed more than 160 people and affected more than 9 million others.

AUDIO: [Mariachi singing]

Mariachi record — We wrap up in Mexico, with more than one thousand musicians singing and strumming their guitars in Mexico City’s main square.

Their performance topped off the city’s first Mariachi congress. It also attempted to break a previous Guinness World Record of 700 mariachi musicians, performing together in the Mexican city of Guadalajara in 2013.

Jesús Morales traveled to Mexico City to join the performers. He began playing with his uncles at the age of 13.

MORALES: [Speaking Spanish]

He says here that his father instilled in him a deep respect for music.

Guinness World Records can take up to 12 weeks to confirm or reject a record attempt.

AUDIO: [Mariachi music]

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Oduah in Abuja, Nigeria.

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