You cannot make good decisions or choose what to believe in if you know nothing about “the other side”.
Every issue has different angles. Even the war in Ukraine. Not the war itself, but the reason why some countries abstained from voting for the United Nations resolution to demand an end to the Russian invasion.
141 countries voted for the resolution. 5 voted against it. 47 countries abstained or did not vote at all. 26 of those 47 were African countries. 28 African countries voted for the resolution.
If you come from Arica, maybe you exclaim “Finally! Somebody from Europe taking an interest in what Africa has to say.”
If you come from other parts of the world, I encourage you to broaden your perspective.
We, who come from the so-called Western world, seldom realise that the world looks quite different for a person from other parts of the world.
We only see a fraction of the whole picture. That should make us humble, and willing to change as we learn more.
Some perspectives on the war in Ukraine – seen from Africa.
The most interesting aspects I have come across came from the late correspondent Tomm Kristiansen. He knew Africa well, and lived, partly, in South Africa.
This is what he said (my translation) on Norwegian radio:
“It is not the Africans’ war. They do not shed more tears over Ukraine than we do over Tigray or Yemen.
For most African countries this is not about Ukraine. It is about the old colonial powers, and now the old repressors ask the Africans to choose their side.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the USA used Africa as their battlefield. They supported half of the wars going on, financed them and kept hell going on year after year. Africans remember this. And they remember who supported them.
They remember that the last countries to support a regime change in South Africa were the U.K. and the U.S. The latter stroke Mandela from their list of terrorists in 2008. Nine years after he ended his presidency. Africans remember this.
Liberation movements got no help from Europe. They got support from Russia, China and even North Korea.
The first country Mandela visited after his release was Libya, to express his thanks to Ghaddafi (for his support for the anti-apartheid movement).
NATO bombed an African country not many years ago – Libya. Resulting in terrorist groups flying south to, among others, Mali.
Africa remembers all this. And all this they got at the back of their heads when they vote in the UN. “
Olayinka Ajala follows up on that in an article in the Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation.
Ajala also mentions a general scepticism towards NATO, together with Africa’s dependency on wheat and fertilisers from Russia. The lack of support from Western countries during the Covid-19 pandemic is another reason.
South Africa’s Mail and Guardian is sceptical towards some African countries’ neutrality caused by favours in the past:
“Whatever goodwill Russia won, in a previous political incarnation, for its support of anti-colonial movements and the struggle against apartheid, does not change the reality that Russia’s actions against Ukraine are a violent attack on its people and a flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and integrity of a state.”
“Yesterday’s gratitude doesn’t justify today’s impunity.”
South Africa abstained from voting on the resolution to demand Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine.
Finally, Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Kimani, and his speech at the General Assembly on Russia´s warfare in Ukraine.
“Rather than form nations that looked ever backwards into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forward to a greatness none of our many nations and peoples had ever known,” Kimani said.
That was a great speech. Whether you agree with its contents or not is another matter. Kenya voted for the resolution to demand Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine.
None of the above statements or arguments are necessarily my opinions.
I hope they broadened your mind a few millimetres. They did that to me.
Photo: Bauer Griffin
