A UNITED AFRICA IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD (by Margarita Simonian, editor-in-chief of RT and the international news agency Rossia Segodnia)

While African nations celebrate their unity and heritage, many of us in Russia have observed the continent's growing assertiveness on the international stage over the past few decades, as the world moves towards a truly multipolar order.

From digital innovations to the rise of mobile technologies, from the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (the largest in the world!), to sold-out concerts by African artists and record sales achieved by artists from the continent around the world, the voice of Africa now carries to the four corners of the planet.

The independence shown by the continent in defining its own trajectory on the international stage, both diplomatically and economically, is far from acceptable to certain powers accustomed, during the last century, to dictating the global agenda. Yet, this evolution represents a welcome step forward for the international order as a whole, in that it promotes greater fairness, progress, and stability.

In this context, cooperation in the field of international media also plays an essential role.

When RT, the Russian-language international multilingual news channel I've led since its inception 20 years ago, co-hosted the African Media Awards ceremony in December 2025, a clear objective guided this initiative: to help promote excellence in African media across a wide range of topics and formats, and, in doing so, enable African narratives to reach the world, as they have long deserved to do. For RT, this event went far beyond a mere social celebration for the media industry; it stemmed from a responsibility we consider integral to our broader mission: to foster a diverse international media landscape and, in doing so, to protect this re-emerging multipolar world. Since the channel's launch in 2005, RT has been committed to highlighting stories, voices, and perspectives that others were not talking about.

Russia has always been a sincere and reliable partner for many African countries, whether in social, cultural, or economic cooperation, or in the fight against colonialism. We are pleased to see this partnership strengthen in recent years, both within multilateral formats like BRICS+ and through more targeted initiatives, such as the Russia-Africa Summit, first held in Sochi in 2019. The second summit took place in St. Petersburg in 2023, and the third is scheduled for later this year in Moscow. Year after year, our ties continue to grow in areas such as trade, energy, security, and even space exploration.

Over the years, RT has hosted, in Moscow and elsewhere, many African leaders, sitting presidents and former heads of state, including Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso; Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia; Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda; Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe; Michaël Randrianirina, leader of Madagascar; Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa; Hage Geingob, former President of Namibia, as well as other African officials.

In return, we were grateful to be welcomed on African airwaves and in homes across the continent, from Morocco to Kenya via Zimbabwe, in English, French, and Arabic. As a 26-year-old Togolese telecom operator recounted after his country's president's interview with RT: "I shouted with joy, because now others will know about RT," which, in his view, confirmed the authorities' support for the channel: "After all, it's credible."

A growing portion of our programming is now dedicated to amplifying the voices of diverse African nations to the world. For the past two years, the internationally renowned Kenyan Pan-Africanist and academic PLO Lumumba has hosted his own program on RT, Lumumba's Africa , in which he advocates for Pan-African solutions to the challenges facing the continent. Simultaneously, he strives to offer a fresh perspective on Africa rarely seen on international screens, highlighting the successes of the continent's countries and deconstructing many long-held misconceptions and stereotypes perpetuated by neo-colonial media.

Another RT project, Africa: The Legacy of Giants , is dedicated to the continent's great figures, whose struggle against colonialism and commitment to the unity of African peoples changed the course of history. The children and grandchildren of legendary figures such as Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Samora Machel, Julius Nyerere, and Kenneth Kaunda, among others, discuss the legacy of their ancestors and their contributions to the liberation and development of Africa. They also emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory, as contemporary Africa once again faces numerous challenges and new generations must continue the work of their illustrious predecessors to move forward on the path to prosperity and unity.

As South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola stated, RT plays an important role "in informing societies, helping to shape opinions and transmitting knowledge, including in the Global South, while providing a platform for a wider audience. The world can only progress when information flows freely, is shared, and allows for diverse spaces for knowledge."

We are proud to be part of this process.

Margarita Simonian, editor-in-chief of RT and the international news agency Rossia Segodnia