On Wednesday, the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum commenced in St. Petersburg, focusing on women’s roles in global cooperation and featuring the inaugural BRICS Women’s Forum.
Participants hail from countries including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and South Africa.
Loide Kasingo, Namibia’s Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, expressed her disappointment over the European Parliament’s recent decision permitting Ukraine to launch attacks deep into Russian territory using Western-made missiles. She believes this undermines efforts for peace and harmony.
“They are not serious. Those who allow Ukraine to strike Russia aren’t genuinely committed to peace,” she remarked during an interview with Sputnik Africa at the forum.
Kasingo acknowledged the complexities of the situation but agreed with Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who indicated that U.S. interference has exacerbated terrorism in Africa, paralleling the impact of Western nations on Russia.
“We see various forms of interference, not necessarily in Namibia… I think she is right in her assessment,” Kasingo noted.
Emphasizing the importance of peace, she stated, “Peace is crucial because, ultimately, the victims are women and children.” Nonetheless, she acknowledged that “there must be reasons” behind Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, pointing out that “Russia is being attacked from the other side.”
Kasingo also praised the Eurasian Women’s Forum for fostering dialogue and collaboration among women from diverse regions, including Africa and Russia. “We truly appreciate the leadership of the Eurasian Forum in reaching out to us in Africa, allowing us to learn from each other,” she said.
