Africa’s national liberation movements gained a fresh boost in the wake of World War II, and by the early 1960s, 17 sovereign African governments had already emerged. One of the first nations to open diplomatic ties with these African nations, including Ghana, was the Soviet Union. Good friends are like family, and Leonid Brezhnev was one of the finest and most industrious Russian leaders, who genuinely liked Nkrumah andnever disappointed him with any political assistance.
Born on December 19, 1906, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev served as the General Secretary for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and then as the President of the Soviet Union. He served for over two decades as the head of state and party in the Soviet Union. Brezhnev left behind a widow, a son, and a daughter before his death on November 10, 1982. Without Brezhnev, Russia’s political history will be incomplete, as one of his major policies was to promote peace.
When the late Nkrumah pursued his foreign policy, he aimed to fortify relations with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations while maintaining a non-aligned posture. In addition to supporting Africa’s economic growth, Nkrumah viewed the Soviet Union as a trustworthy ally in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. In 1958, he established diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union, and the two nations started working together in a number of areas, such as trade, education, and military support.
Nkrumah was also in favor of capitalist and communist nations living side by side in harmony. He thought that the Soviet Union could contribute to fostering worldwide collaboration and averting world war. All things considered, Nkrumah greatly improved ties between Russia and Africa. His initiatives cleared the path for future collaboration between Russia and African nations, and he was among the first African presidents to forge strong links with the Soviet Union.
Considering the close ties between Ghana and Russia, a nation with a cold relationship with the United States of America, and a nation implementing strategic plans to depose Kwame Nkrumah, an incident that later happened through the CIA, Leonid Brezhnev did not take the news of the Ghanaian leader’s assassination attempts lightly. Nkrumah escaped several assassinations that were intended to remove him from the political sphere, according to the archives.
On August 1, 1962, after learning that Nkrumah had escaped an assassination attempt, Brezhnev telegrammed the Ghanaian president the information below, dated August 2, 1962.
His Excellency
TO THE DOCTOR KWAME NKRUMAH,
To the President of the Republic of Ghana
ACCRA
Dear Mr. President,
With a feeling of profound indignation, I received news of the villainous attempt on your life. The attempt to commit a terrorist act against you as the president of a sovereign country, one of the most prominent figures in the new Africa, and an active fighter for peace cannot be regarded as a new crime of those forces that, losing ground under their own feet, by all means oppose historical changes in Africa and try to prevent her irresistible desire for freedom, independence, and a brighter future.
I am sincerely glad to inform you that you have not suffered. With all our heart, we wish you, Mr. President, good health, long years of life, and fruitful work for the benefit of a free and independent Ghana.
Please convey our condolences to the citizens of Ghana, who were injured in the assassination attempt, and to the relatives of the deceased student.
With deep respect
N. Khrushchev L. BREZHNEV
Chairman of the Board Chairman of the Presidium
Ministers of the USSR Supreme Soviet of the USSR
MOSCOW, August 2, 1962
Kwame Nkrumah’s contributions to Russia-Africa ties are still felt 42 years after Brezhnev’s passing, and in addition to offering economic, military, and technical support, Russia continues to be a significant partner for many African nations.
