Ghana?s Ambassador Air Vice Marshall Edward Manteh was among his Ambassador Colleagues and other high dignitaries who participated last week?s African forum which strongly urged Russian authorities to take concerted efforts to halt physical attacks on Africans living and studying throughout the Russian Federation. The was also part of the activities marking African week which is traditionally observed in May.

The forum drew prominent speakers such as the British Ambassador Anthony Breden, Professor Lily Golden of Chicago University, Professor Vladimir Shubin, Deputy Director of the Institute of African Studies, Associat Professor Gabriel Kotchofa of the Moscow State Univerty of Oil and Gas and who is also the Head of All Foreign Students Association in Russia, Representatives from Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov's office, Professor Davidson Apollon and many others.

The forum participants urged Russian political authorities to recognised that the increasing wave of racial attacks has made it highly scary for African students to come to understake academic studies and African businessmen to search for Russian partners in the country. It [measures] would also help make the business environment more attractive and healthy for tourism, the participants say at the one-day forum.