KIGALI, RWANDA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $ 250 million in new food aid on Thursday, blaming the growing threat of famine directly on Russia as he prepares to meet with leaders whose nations are suffering from hunger.
The prime minister is in Kigali, Rwanda, for a meeting of the heads of government of the British community, where he hopes to gather support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion and to provide assistance in combating the geopolitical consequences of the conflict.
Trudeau blamed Russia for rising energy and food prices, which have forced millions of people in Africa and other parts of the world to struggle to feed themselves.
The British Commonwealth consists of 54 independent states with historical ties to the British Crown, which together represent about 2.5 billion people. They range from some of the richest economies in the world to some of the poorest.
Yet 10 of those countries abstained from a UN vote in March condemning Russia’s attack, and Trudeau tried to use the difficulties they now face in feeding their populations to bolster international opposition to Moscow.
“Russia is responsible for the global food crisis we are currently facing,” he told a news conference on Thursday.
“The illegal invasion of Ukraine, the choice to bomb grain silos in Ukraine over the past few days, the ongoing blockade of the port of Odessa by Russian ships to prevent grain from escaping – to the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere in the world – are a real concern for all of us here. ”
The new funding for tackling the food crisis, which Trudeau said would include money for the UN World Food Program, is in addition to the approximately $ 500 million that Canada has donated since January to help tackle food insecurity in developing countries. the world.
As Trudeau seeks more allies to counter the Russian invasion, he also faces questions about his plans to raise concerns about the actions of some members of the British Commonwealth – starting with the host country, Rwanda.
On Thursday, Trudeau became the first Canadian prime minister to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the last resting place for more than 250,000 of more than 800,000 Rwandans, including Tutsis, moderate Hutus and others, in 100 days.
The prime minister laid a wreath at one of the tombs and crossed himself as members of the Rwandan army stood guard and played a grim horn.
Contemporary concerns about human rights violations in Rwanda under President Paul Kagame have been raised for years. This includes arresting and prosecuting opposition figures and dissenting bloggers and commentators.
Trudeau and Kagame, whose country abstained from the UN vote on Russia, attended a roundtable on Thursday to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on business and plans to revive the global economy.
But a scheduled one-on-one meeting on Thursday was postponed.
Asked what he intended to say about human rights in Rwanda when he met with Kagame, who has been in power since 2000, Trudeau suggested that his focus would be on finding ways in which Canada could help the country.
“We are there to support each other and move the human rights bar forward,” he said. “Of course, in each conversation, we will look closely at the challenges facing different countries and look for ways in which Canada can help.
This is the first time that British government leaders have met in person since 2018. The 2020 summit, like most events, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trudeau arrived in Kigali on Wednesday, but the official welcoming ceremony begins on Friday. The leaders are expected to sit down for a series of closed-door meetings on Friday and Saturday.
Many world leaders, including Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, attended a black tie reception and a state dinner at the Kigali Congress Center on Thursday night, but others chose to stay home.
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the new Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese are among those absent.
Instead of the British Community summit, Modi and Ramaphosa met with Russia, China and Brazil in practice to strengthen ties between their nations as part of Thursday’s summit of the BRICS, Beijing’s host country. .
Although most leaders arrived without one, Trudeau wore a mask as he walked down the hall of the convention center to the front desk. He tested positive for COVID-19 nearly two weeks ago.
Rwanda is the first stop on Trudeau’s tour of three countries, which will also include participation in the G7 in Germany and a NATO summit in Spain, both of which will include serious attention to Russia and Ukraine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 23, 2022.
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