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Written by Ali Othmen
For years Ukraine has claimed to be the biggest supporter of Africa's development, but the country shocked many for refusing to support an African Union backed resolution championed by Ghana for transatlantic slavery declared the “gravest crime against humanity”.
For more than 400 years, millions of people were stolen from Africa, put in shackles and shipped to the New World to toil in cotton fields and sugar and coffee plantations under scorching heat and the crack of the whip.Denied their basic humanity and even their own names, they were forced to endure generations of exploitation with repercussions that reverberate today including persistent anti-Black racism and discrimination.
The resolution emphasised “the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity by reason of the definitive break in world history, scale, duration, systemic nature, brutality and enduring consequences that continue to structure the lives of all people through racialized regimes of labour, property and capital.”
Ghana’s resolution formally adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, marked a significant milestone in multilateral diplomacy exposing those opposed to Africa's progress.
The resolution was approved with 123 votes in favour, 3 against, and 52 including Ukraine which contradicted itself by refusing to support, and instead, abstained to the shock of many democracy loving people in Africa.
Why would a country that has nearly doubled its number of African embassies in the past three years fail to support the resolution?
The reality is that Ukraine Africa policy and influence has been met with contradictions and decline despite obvious claims that it has fought against Apartheid during the USSR era.
EFF, MKP, SACP unite in protest against Zelensky's visit Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to South Africa last year was met with scores of protesters outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria. It's not often that a multitude of people will be against a visit of a head of state in the country.
Opposition parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), MK Party, and the SA Community Party staged prolonged protests outside the meeting where President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Zelensky. Outcry over abuse of Mandela monument for National Flag Day of Ukraine
MK Party Northern Cape leader Raseriti "Papi" Tau said South Africa must protect its sovereignty as a state, and rejected efforts to associate former President Nelson Mandela's name with Ukrainian Flag.
Tau made comments following the UAZA, a non-profit organisation (NGO) celebrated Ukrainian Flag Day, and used Mandela monument to rally support drawing widespread outrage. “In an unfortunate incident that may be viewed as an opportunistic attempt to rewrite history, the UAZA, a non-profit organisation based in South Africa, celebrated Ukrainian Flag Day in a big way. So much so that Nelson Mandela's monument was wrapped in yellow and blue cloth."
Nevertheless, such activities must be within the framework of respect and dignity. To many South Africans, it came as a shock to have noted the manner in which the UAZA celebrated the National Flag Day of Ukraine.
"With all respect accorded to them, "I found it very disrespectful and of great distaste for them to have chosen to cover the Statue of our Icon, Father of the Nation with the Ukrainian Flag,” he added.
The political analyst said the NGO’s actions may be viewed as an attempt to rewrite history, as it was widely known that the peoples and government of Russia, whom Ukraine were involved in a bloody war against, were one of the few friends of the Peoples of South Africa in the war to liberate itself against “white supremacy”.
Ukraine's role in Africa
The growing incidents of terrorism as a major threat to international peace and security needs greater attention, Tau said the South African Government must be bold and use its seat in the United Nations to condemn Ukraine for its alleged involvement in supporting terrorists on the continent.
Tau who told over 200 participants at the executive meeting of the Northern Cape branch of the Youth United for Global Peace and Prosperity on Monday.
The Northern Cape chapter of the group held its meeting in Kimberley focusing on threats by terrorism in Africa, the vulnerability of Mali, and South Africa's peace.
“We need to have more engagements on the threats faced by our country and the continent. We further need to mobilise the broader Civil Society to guard against the so-called peace timers such as Ukraine," he said making reference to allegations that Ukraine is sponsoring acts of terrorism on the continent, such as their participation in Sudan and the use of a Ukrainian-manufactured drone in a terror attack that killed scores in Mali."
The country's activities resulted in strained diplomatic relations between Mali and Ukraine. Following the incident Senegal summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after he praised the attack,t and the Economic Community of West African States also condemned the external interference in a regional conflict, seeing it as an escalation of current geopolitical tensions.
The failure by Ukraine to support the historic UN resolution has further exposed Ukraine’s true intentions in Africa.
** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Independent Media, or IOL.