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Vladimir Putin and Alpha Conde during a meeting on the sidelines of the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit, on Oct. 24, in Sochi.Photographer: Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

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By Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov

December 21, 2019 at 6:00 AM UTC

Corrected

December 23, 2019 at 11:12 AM UTC

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Alpha Conde of Guinea had a favor to ask Vladimir Putin when the two presidents met at the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in October.