Mnangagwa flies to Moscow for Russia-Africa summit and Putin talks

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left Harare for Moscow, where he will attend the third Russia-Africa Summit on 28 and 29 October and hold one-to-one talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He flew out of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Saturday evening, The Herald reported. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, service chiefs and senior government officials saw him off, according to both The Herald and zimDaily.

Going as COMESA chair

Mnangagwa will take part in his capacity as chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a post he took over from Kenya's William Ruto at the bloc's summit in Harare on Thursday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira told journalists on Saturday night that the President would do three things in Russia: address the Zimbabwean diaspora, attend the summit, and hold a bilateral meeting with Putin. "His Excellency will attend in his capacity as chairman of the COMESA region, together with other regional chairpersons of economic communities in Africa," Murwira said, as quoted by The Herald.

Murwira said most Zimbabweans in Russia are students, there under education, scientific and technical cooperation agreements between the two countries. Addressing them, he said, was in line with Section 35 of the Constitution, which covers the protection of citizens' interests abroad.

About the summit

The summit runs alongside the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum under the theme "Developing Mutually Beneficial Cooperation and Realising the Potential of all African countries together". The Herald says it will be co-chaired by Putin and African Union chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye, the President of Burundi.

Russia and Africa agreed to hold these summits every three years. Mnangagwa attended the first in Sochi in 2019 and the second in St Petersburg in 2023, zimDaily noted. Citing the state news agency, zimDaily said Harare wants cooperation in energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, logistics, digitalisation, science and technology, and that the summit will consider a new Russia-Africa action plan for 2027 to 2029.

Why it matters

Russia is one of Zimbabwe's closest diplomatic partners. At his 2024 meeting with Putin, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe could not turn to the West for help with defence, food and farm mechanisation, according to the Kremlin transcript quoted by zimDaily: "We cannot go to the West; we have to come here because the West would want to see us down." Going as COMESA chair, representing a bloc of 21 countries, gives him a bigger platform than a national visit would, and The Herald said he is expected to push for Africa's deeper integration into the global economy.

The visit also puts a spotlight on Zimbabweans caught up in Russia's war in Ukraine. zimDaily recalled that in March the government said 15 Zimbabweans had been killed after being recruited to fight, and that DNA samples were collected from relatives in Bulawayo on 13 and 14 October to help identify the dead. Neither the Herald report nor Murwira's briefing mentioned the issue, and it is not known whether it is on the agenda.

His last bilateral meeting with Putin, in St Petersburg in June 2024, caused a row with Zambia after a published video showed him saying the United States was building up its power there, as zimDaily recalled.

What we don't know yet

The full make-up of Zimbabwe's delegation.

What, if anything, Zimbabwe and Russia plan to sign during the visit.

Where and when the President will address the diaspora.

We will update this story as the summit gets under way.

Sources: The Herald (Zimpapers Politics Hub), 24 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/new-president-mnangagwa-leaves-for-russia-africa-summit/ · The Herald via Zimbabwe Situation (Fungi Kwaramba), 25 Oct 2026: https://www.zimbabwesituation.com/news/president-expected-for-russia-africa-summit/ · zimDaily (Nkosana Sibanda), 25 Oct 2026: https://www.zimdaily.com/article/news-2026-10-25-mnangagwa-moscow-zambia-moans/ · The Herald (Online Reporter), 25 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/president-arrives-in-russia/ · RIA Novosti, 25 Oct 2026: https://ria.ru/20261025/zimbabve-2126895121.html · RIA Novosti, 25 Oct 2026: https://ria.ru/20261025/moskva-2126893668.html · Sputnik Africa, 25 Oct 2026: https://en.sputniknews.africa/20261025/1090267479.html · TASS, 26 Oct 2026: https://tass.com/politics/2208197 · TASS, 26 Oct 2026: https://tass.com/politics/2208229 · NewZimbabwe, 26 Oct 2026: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-chases-trade-and-investment-deals-at-russia-africa-summit/ · APA news agency, 26 Oct 2026: https://apanews.net/mnangagwa-in-moscow-for-russia-africa-summit/

Updates

20:25 GMT, Monday 26 OctoberLatest

The Kremlin has put a date on Mnangagwa's talks with Putin. Putin will meet the presidents of Zimbabwe, Namibia and Madagascar, and Sudan's Sovereign Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Thursday 29 October, after the summit's two plenary sessions, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told Russia's TASS news agency. Ushakov said Putin will hold 24 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, and described the week's schedule as "extremely tight", TASS reported. Putin will host a reception for summit participants in the Kremlin on the evening of 28 October. The Kremlin says the summit is expected to adopt a final declaration, a Russia-Africa action plan for 2027 to 2029, and a declaration on cooperation in the civilian use of artificial intelligence. A package of government-to-government agreements is also expected to be signed, it said. Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira said the President will also meet Russian business people during the visit, NewZimbabwe reported, quoting state media. NewZimbabwe and APA news agency both said a meeting with Zimbabweans living in Russia is still planned. No date for that meeting has been announced, and Mnangagwa is expected home later this week, NewZimbabwe said. Read source

16:45 GMT, Sunday 25 October

President Mnangagwa has arrived in Moscow ahead of the Russia-Africa Summit, The Herald and Russia's RIA Novosti reported on Sunday. Sputnik Africa said an official statement confirmed he is attending as chairman of COMESA. He was received by Russian officials, Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe's ambassador to Russia Grey Marongwe and embassy staff, according to The Herald. He is travelling with Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communication George Charamba and other senior officials, The Herald said. RIA Novosti reported that African leaders arriving in Moscow are being greeted with a samovar, bread rings and pies, and that Mnangagwa had already arrived. It quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying on 21 October that most African delegations had confirmed they would attend. The Herald said the summit will focus on artificial intelligence, food security, trade, investment and nuclear energy cooperation. Read source

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How we report: every fact is sourced and checked against the live source, the sources are listed above, and updates are timestamped.

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Mnangagwa flies to Moscow for Russia-Africa summit and Putin talks

Going as COMESA chair

About the summit

Why it matters

What we don't know yet

Updates

Join the conversation

Comments

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