Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published:July28,2022
By Staff writer
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is unfortunate as it destroys both life and property. The conflict that could have been avoided have affected the global economy in various dimensions. As countries like China are advocating for dialogue and peaceful settlement of the conflict, western countries especially the US has taken sides naming Russia as the aggressor.
The US administration has not only sought alliance with European countries, but has gone as far as dragging other continents like Africa asking countries to take the same stand as the US and its European allies. African countries are being cajoled to toe the western narrative and condemn Russia. First of all Africa has nothing to do with the Russia-Ukraine crisis, although the consequences like the global economic shock waves also affect the continent. The US and its NATO allies on the other side, have supplied arms to Ukraine, in a war they created.
It looks like the west led by US using the Russia-Ukraine conflict wants to take back the world into the cold war mentality by divide the world into two blocks. Countries supporting US and its European allies to be on one side and those supporting Russia and its allies especially China to be on another side. This is a dangerous game that US is using to rally western countries behind its own strategic interests of maintaining economic and military superiority at any cost.
ON March 2, 2022 during the United Nations General Assembly vote which demanded Russia to comply with a ceasefire in Ukraine, 17 African countries abstained from the vote, while a total of 35 UN member countries abstained from the vote. Even the African countries that voted yes, did so for political reasons and not for objective reality.
As African countries are being cajoled to support US stand on the Russia-Ukraine war, historical facts show that the US have never been a strategic ally of Africa. Instead, the US and western countries under developed Africa toenrich themselves. Colonialism gave then opportunity to steal African resources with impunity, while slave trade was a crime against humanity committed against the African people, for which the west has never apologized or compensated the African people for historical injustices. African countries should reject being used as a stepping stone to defend western interests.
In the current COVID-19 pandemic, African countries were able to know that the West is not concerned about the lives of Africa people. By hording the much needed COVID-19 vaccines when Africa was in dire need, the west put economic benefit before the lives of Africans. Coming now to ask Africa countries to support western geopolitical interests is simply an abuse to the African people.
China and Russia shared their COVID-19 vaccines with African countries as well as other developing countries globally. African countries therefore, know well who their friends and allies are. The US should keep African countries out of its equation in the Russia-Ukraine war. Can the west leave the African people to exercise their rights without being coerced?
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