When several African countries refuse to condemn Putin’s war in Ukraine, it follows a certain historical logic, says African researcher Andrew Tchie.
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When the UN General Assembly voted on whether to blame Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, a significant number of African countries abstained.
While the decision, taken in March, received support from 140 countries, 5 countries voted no, and 38 countries abstained.
Among those who abstained were China and 17 African countries.
South Africa, Burundi, Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda, Mali and Mozambique are among these.
We find the explanation largely in the recent past, says senior researcher in the Research Group for Peace, Conflict and Development at the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Policy (Nupi), Andrew Tchie, to VG.
– Many of the countries on the continent have links to Russia historically, especially considering that Russia supported them in their struggles for independence. Classic examples here are Zimbabwe and South Africa, says the researcher.
South Africa is one of six countries in southern Africa where the liberation movement has links to the former Soviet Union. All six countries abstained, analyst Aanu points out Adeoye ved Chatham House to French RFI.
Russian mercenaries
Russia’s presence in Africa has exploded since Russia first entered Ukraine in 2014.
Russian mercenaries are present in over 20 African countries, according to Russia expert Jakob Hedenskog.
– Russia will challenge the United States and the West in different arenas. It does not matter if it is in Ukraine and Europe, Syria and the Middle East, or in Africa, Hedenskog says to the news agency TT.
Mali is one of the African countries where Russia now positions itself.
Mercenaries from the paramilitary Russian Wagner group are reportedly now working with Malian forces, writes among other things Current aid. The Wagner group has close ties to the Putin regime, says researcher Hedenskog NTB.
Russian mercenaries are said to have been involved when 300 civilian men were killed in the Malian city of Moura at the end of March, writes Human Rights Watch.
–Also abstained from the Crimean referendum
Just three days after the invasion, the African Union issued a statement condemning Russia’s attacks on Ukraine in strong terms and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
But shortly after, South Africa’s foreign ministry modified this by saying that the UN resolution does not “create an environment that is productive of diplomacy”.
Even when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula, South Africa abstained from voting in the UN.
Russia and South Africa are part of a community in the so-called BRICS group of five countries with fast-growing economies, along with India, China and Brazil.
The latter was the only country in the BRICS group that voted to condemn Russia’s warfare.
Many South Africans feel a historical gratitude to the Russians, says the Nupi researcher.
– When the ANC wanted to end apartheid in South Africa, they turned to Britain, but experienced that the British turned their backs on them. Russia, on the other hand, was ready to help, both with weapons and military training. Moreover, Russia did not have the burdensome background as a colonial power, Tchie says to VG.
The fact that Russia has agreements with several countries in Africa where they exchange Russian military training and weapons against African natural resources such as gold is also not insignificant, the Nupi researcher believes.
–Do not buy the West’s solutions
An important point for South Africa is that the country does not want to be pressured by the West’s way of looking at Russia and the world, the Nupi researcher explains to VG. Several countries on the continent feel that they have previously been treated only as pieces in a game between the West and Russia or other great powers.
– That, for example, South Africa will not take the West’s side against Russia does not mean that they support the war. They want to calm the situation and do not necessarily buy the Western approach of supplementing weapons as a solution to the conflict.
The African countries that refrain from taking sides here will avoid being put in the middle of a conflict between the West and Russia, Tchie explains to VG.
– It is important to remember that there was no “yes” to “no” in the vote to condemn – it was “yes” and those who abstained.
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