No African country has so far come out in support of Russia’s military action in Ukraine, as many analysts fear the conflict could disrupt trade with significant consequences for global food stability.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24 February in the biggest attack on a European state since the World War II.
‘Even before the first missiles have been fired this war has taken a dreadful toll: diverting billions of dollars into rearmament and away from tackling poverty, pandemics, education, inequality and the burgeoning climate crisis in a critical year’, Mark Heywood wrote on South Africa’s Daily Maverick website.
In its reaction to the conflict, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), a prominent civil society group in Nigeria, condemned Russia’s military action in Ukraine, especially at a time when the world is still reeling from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement to Development Diaries, the Executive Director of CHRICED, Ibrahim Zikirulahi, said that the conflict should have been avoided through diplomacy.
‘The human misery, suffering, and humanitarian crisis that will be precipitated by Russia’s use of force will undoubtedly exact a heavy toll, not only on the victims but also on the world’s resources’, the statement read.
‘It is unfortunate and unacceptable that scarce resources that could have been devoted to social services such as education, health care, and infrastructure are now being spent on the purchase of arms, ammunition, and other lethal weapons with the sole purpose of terminating human lives’.
It is understood that the African countries with the most students in Ukraine are Morocco, Nigeria and Egypt.
According to Quartz – a pan-African publication – the aforementioned countries constituted almost 20 percent of all foreign students studying in Ukraine in 2020.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said it had ‘received with surprise’ news of the conflict in Ukraine, and measures were being taken to keep its nationals in the country safe.
Meanwhile, Africa’s most industrialised economy, South Africa, has called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
‘Armed conflict will no doubt result in human suffering and destruction, the effects of which will not only affect Ukraine but also reverberate across the world. No country is immune to the effects of this conflict’, the country’s government said in a statement.
In a similar manner, Africa’s three non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – Kenya, Ghana and Gabon – condemned Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
‘The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine stands breached. The charter of the United Nations continues to wilt under the relentless assault of the powerful’, Kenya’s ambassador at the UN Security Council, Martin Kimani, said.
Russia and Ukraine supply about 30 percent of the world’s wheat. According to the editor of the UK-based Africa Confidential publication, Patrick Smith, there could be rise in bread prices in Africa.
‘The price of bread has been a driving force of political instability, and triggered the Arab Spring. The Maghreb countries – Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Algeria, which rely heavily on wheat – could be worst-affected by the tightening of supplies and an increase in prices’, the BBC quoted Smith as saying.
It is also understood that Russia is among the top five consumers of Kenya’s tea, and the East African country is concerned about the impact the war could have on its tea industry.
However, the war offers massive opportunities for oil- and gas-producing countries as oil prices have already surged past U.S. $100 per barrel to hit their highest level since 2014.
‘Europe has to rapidly find alternatives to Russian gas, and the most reliable alternatives are in Africa. It [is] a great opportunity for African states to move in, and get new deals done quickly’, Smith said.
Photo source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
