Diplomatically Isolated Belarus Seeks Allies in Africa

YAOUNDE, Cameroon—A new bilateral intercourse is growing between the diplomatically isolated Eastern European nation of Belarus and countries in Africa. This is epitomized by the Belarusian president’s recent visit to the continent. President Alexander Lukashenko visited Equatorial Guinea and Kenya from Dec. 9 to Dec. 11, in a tour described by Minsk as aiming to “intensify interaction” in all areas of mutual benefit and to establish “close ties” between Belarus and African countries. Kenyan President William Ruto and President Lukashenko on December 11 agreed to broaden ties in renewable energy, trade, investment, and education. President Ruto expressed his country’s readiness to tap Belarus’s technology in agriculture, adding that the “immense opportunities” binding Kenya and Belarus must be exploited for the prosperity of the two countries....