Museveni urges countries to refrain from fomenting opportunistic wars, coups

President Museveni, who made the remarks at the second Russian-Africa summit in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, said that fighting an unjust war is a waste of time and that even if the offender is triumphant, the rewards of such a war are likely to be fleeting.

As a result, Museveni urged people in current times to explore communication to solve existing societal difficulties rather than constantly viewing violence as the sole method to resolve human conflicts.

"History has shown that you cannot win an unjustifiable war. Humanity will triumph in the end. Historically, the religious wars in Europe, as well as the fight between feudalists and the emergence of capitalism in Europe, are a historic testimony because they were justified and for the right cause; humanity triumphed against all odds," the President told the delegates.

He condemned African and international forces for a culture of overturning legal and democratically elected governments in Africa, the most recent of which occurred in Niger, an act he called despicable in the modern era.

President Museveni also used the occasion to call on Russia and other developed African friends to assist the continent in eliminating raw material exports by supporting the continent's industrialization goal.

He described raw material exportation as "modern slavery and the last major bottleneck of neocolonialism."

The President went on to say that while the global coffee business is worth $ 460 billion per year, the world's coffee-producing countries receive only $ 25 billion, while the entire continent of Africa, which includes many coffee-producing countries, receives only $ 2.5 billion due to the exportation of unprocessed coffee.

He stated that African allies may even prohibit the importation of raw materials from Africa into their countries in order to encourage industrialists to invest on the continent, which he claims would increase people's income, increase purchasing power, and give industrialists a market.

In his speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has always been an ally of Africa throughout her liberation struggle and has never attempted to pillage any area of Africa but rather has contributed to the continent's growth.

He went on to say that Russia has always been interested in Africa's plight in terms of security, economic exploitation, and humanitarian difficulties, and that the country has always worked with Africa in these areas in accordance with the United Nations charter.

President Putin went on to say that Russia and Africa are working together to combat terrorism, climate change, and the imposition of unilateral sanctions by self-seeking states.