Western powers trying to isolate Russia over Ukraine are dismayed as African countries have lukewarm support at the UN General Assembly – where their 54 votes are large enough to swing resolutions. The Ukraine war comes at a time of growing rivalry between the West, China and Russia over Africa’s natural resources, trade and security ties.
Some of the reasons for the divided attitude of the continent are given below:
hearts and minds
On 24 February, the day of the invasion, the African Union explicitly called on Russia to respect “the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”, while Kenya’s UN ambassador, Martin Kimani, spoke for many, When he compared it to Russian aggression. Former colonial masters of Africa.
However, African votes on UN resolutions have been mixed, for example on Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council: nine African countries voted against it, 23 did not vote, 11 did not vote and only 11 supported it. Did.
While a refrain may sound ‘pro-Russian’, Russia has also threatened countries that abstain, underlining how squeezed-in neutral sides are.
Meanwhile the West has stepped up its efforts for African hearts and minds. It can serve the continent well.
“It makes sense for (the West) to maintain those relationships[with African countries],” said researcher Kelly Clifford of the South African Institute of International Affairs. “This whole conflict … almost gives Africa the upper hand. gives.”
Africa is not a country
Analysts note that African countries have different motives when it comes to Russia, so talking about the ‘African situation’ makes little sense.
“You can’t just brush it off with one paint. There is no ‘African scene.’ There are different views based on different historical reasons,” said Comfort Arrow, president of the International Crisis Group.
Kenya is building a security partnership with the United States against Somalia-based Islamist extremists; Nigeria seeks support against Islamic State and Boko Haram; Ghana has sought to deepen American cultural ties by becoming Africa’s premier slave heritage tourist destination.
Many who do not support the West’s stand – such as South Africa, Eritrea and the Central African Republic – have close trade and security ties with Russia, not wanting to jeopardize it.
The least diplomatic heavyweight to back the West is South Africa, which went so far as to propose an alternative that did not mention Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
South Africa’s close trade and historical ties with Russia are often invoked, but analysts say this has less to do with – South Africa trades with NATO countries many times more – than its non-aligned ideology. In, as outlined by Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in a. Speech last week.
disillusioned
African countries have long resisted being a theater for far-right power struggles taking place in far-flung capitals. A senior African diplomat said, “It’s a feeling that we are where the superpowers practice their game. How we feel doesn’t matter. They care about their power.”
On COVID-19, African leaders’ calls for vaccines have fallen on the deaf ears of wealthy countries, which have more than enough to spare. Exactly the same for Africa’s petition for funding to tackle climate change. “When we have a problem, we are on our own; when there is an ‘international problem’, as defined by the West, it is a global problem … everyone is with us like pawns behaves,” said Chris Ogunmode, associate editor of World Politics Review.
For others, a superpower attacking a vulnerable nation on false pretenses echoes 2003. “They betrayed us on Iraq, they told us there were weapons of mass destruction and we … supported them,” Ugandan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Okello Orim told Reuters, referring to the false claim that Saddam Hussein had nuclear weapons. were developing, to explain why Uganda was more cautious this time.
Uganda was one of only four African states to support a US-led invasion when President Yoweri Museveni was a close ally. Relations have soured since then. Museveni criticized Western criticism for being an autocrat, and defends gay rights – the kind of ethics that China and Russia do not.
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