Joyce Banda, a former president of Malawi, hailed the “love affair” between Ukraine’s leader and its people as she promised to help Kyiv identify African countries badly needing the country’s grain exports.
Beginning work as one of Ukraine’s three “grain ambassadors”, the ex-president described Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s wartime direction as “an inspiring story”, part of an effort to boost Kyiv’s standing in Africa, where Russian influence remains strong.
Her job, she said, was “a mammoth task” because climate breakdown was badly affecting parts of Africa “like the northern part of Kenya, that didn’t get rain at all the past season”, meaning they need more help than ever with food security.
Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest grain exporters, and a main supplier to several African nations, but Banda said the country’s profile on the continent had minimal, as was her own understanding of its strategic position.
“Personally I didn’t know that Ukraine produces 10% of the global grain that we require”, Banda said. Now, as part of her ambassadorial role, she would seek to identify the parts of Africa most at risk of famine to help the European country organise supply to them.
Several African nations have been dependent on grain exports from Ukraine and Russia, badly disrupted by Moscow’s invasion last year. Shipments from Black Sea ports have resumed, but Ukraine’s overall harvest is expected to be sharply down from 86m tonnes in 2021 to 49.5m tonnes in 2023.
However, despite the impact of the fighting on food supply, Banda was reluctant to condemn Russia directly, arguing that it was not for former leaders to make policy statements, although Malawi has called for the invading forces to withdraw.
“I have great respect for Ukraine. I have not looked closely at Russia and its motive for this conflict. I have looked at Ukraine and the responsibility it has taken against all odds to support and help those countries that are needy,” Banda said.
Instead she highlighted Zelenskiy’s personal qualities, arguing that the Ukrainian president “sees nothing else but the liberation of his nation” because of the bond forged between the leader and the county as a whole.
“Leadership is a love affair. You must fall in love with the people you serve, and the people must fall in love with you. When that happens, you will never stand by … if you fall in love with somebody, you will never stand by and watch that person be abused, be exploited be tortured,” the former president said.
Banda was president of Malawi between 2012 and 2014, one of Africa’s few female leaders. As vice-president she succeeded to the job after her predecessor died following a heart attack, but was unexpectedly defeated in an election two years later, becoming the continent’s first female ex president.
Ukraine says its goal is to provide grain to at least 5 million people in Africa by the end of this spring, using its food surplus as a humanitarian and diplomatic tool to counter Russia’s significant influence across the region.
Nineteen African countries abstained from a UN resolution condemning Moscow’s unilateral annexation of four regions of Ukraine in October, while 26 voted for it, while later this month Russia will hold joint naval exercises with South Africa and China.
Russian efforts have been spearheaded by the mercenary Wagner group, which provides security for African leaders in countries such as Central African Republic, in return for gaining control over gold, diamonds and other resources.
Wagner has also been engaged in Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where it has been accused of helping manipulate elections via social media and other campaigns.
However, Banda said it was not her job to act as a diplomat for Ukraine. It was for Kyiv to “engage fellow Africans” once it became clear how important the country’s grain supply role was, in line with her own experience.
“I’m not even ashamed about this. But I didn’t know the extent to which Ukraine produced grain and serviced a lot of African countries and the developing world. We have just woken up to that reality, and it is that process that must be strengthened,” she added.
In Africa, Egypt and Madagascar are dependent on either Russia or Ukraine for more than 70-80% of their wheat, while Somalia imports more than 90% of its wheat requirement. Eritrea imports 100% of its grain from Ukraine and Russia.
