Lama Jacques Sevoba, a Guinean diplomat who works in Moscow, is a diehard fan of Vladimir Putin. Despite Russia’s growing isolation on the world stage, the Guinean diplomat was proud to profess his “love” for the Russian leader. Mr Sevoba, who works in Guinea’s embassy in the Russian capital, was the centre of attention for Russian propagandists this week.
He attended the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg wearing a shirt decorated with images of the Russian leader’s unsmiling face.
The shirt showed the Russian warmonger’s face alongside drawings of diamonds.
He complimented the shirt with a cap displaying the Communist hammer and sickle.
Speaking to the Telegram channel DD Geopolitics, Mr Sevoba said the shirt was a pledge of loyalty to the Russian leader.
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The diplomat said he loves President Putin “very much”.
He explained: “I’ve had [the shirt] for three years already because I love him very much, so I wear it any time, in any place.
“And today it’s to show my people that Russia and Africa will be even bigger friends than before.”
Despite the show of support, Russia snubbed Guinea at the summit.
President Putin pledged large, free shipments of grain to six African nations after controversially withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal.
However, the Russian leader did not include Guinea in his list.
The EU said it believes President Putin is misleading African countries over his promise to send free grain to the continent.
The European Commission said Russia was unlikely to honour its pledge.
Guinea has been a strong ally of Russia for decades, with Russian companies involved in the country’s mining industry.
The mercenary Wagner Group has also been deployed in the African state.
Coincidentally, the boss of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin made a surprise appearance at the African summit, just weeks after his attempted coup against the Russian defence ministry.
Mr Prigozhin, 62, was pictured alongside Ambassador Freddy Mapouka, a presidential advisor in the Central African Republic (CAR).
There are also several hundred Wagner mercenaries in diamond-rich CAR.
