(by Maria Stefania Cataleta) Towards the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Western countries have shown that unity that has been lacking from the outset in the countries of the southern hemisphere, especially Africa. The most striking demonstration of this occurred with the resolution of the GA of 2 March 2022, which condemned the aggression and called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the attacked country. The lack of support for this resolution came, to a large extent, from African countries, which were not among the 141 (out of 193) states that gave a favorable opinion. The same laxity on this issue can be found within the African Union (AU) itself, whose 54 member states have struggled to overcome internal divisions on this issue.
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One wonders if these African abstentions have nothing to do with the always more massive presence of Russia in Africa, such as in Mali and in the Central African Republic, also in consideration of the failure of former colonial powers in some countries of this continent, such as France in Mali, where the Wagner brigade has long established itself as an element of order and stability, replacing the French peacekeepers. Or perhaps Africa does not intend to follow the West, which has often turned away from conflicts that have seen it as protagonist and victim, such as when there was a call for an end to the war in Algeria?
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, in its "African campaign” of summer 2022, was welcomed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Congo and Uganda, while accusing Western colonialism of having provoked war and starved Africa. He stated that Russia wants a new multipolar international order which also includes African states, which are currently subject to US imperialism. Russia finds fertile ground for its propaganda in these countries devastated by ethnic conflicts, terrorist violence, pandemic crises and hunger. It is no coincidence that there are as many as 25 African states which, by abstaining, have not signed the UN resolutions condemning the war in Ukraine. Today we are witnessing a change of course in the attitude of African countries in the face of Russian blackmail on the transit of ships carrying grain. But there is also an African reluctance towards the war in Ukraine due to Africa's resentment towards the West for all the interest and involvement in this war and not in other crises that have affected and still afflict the African continent.
This West, in a nutshell, would not be impartial and fair, to the detriment of Africa, as demonstrated by the privileged treatment reserved for Ukrainian refugees and the inequalities in the distribution of the vaccine during the CO VID-SARS-2 pandemic. Furthermore, the West, by imposing sanctions on Russia, in the name of solidarity with Europe, would be asking African countries to make sacrifices that they are not willing to face, moreover for a peace foreign to their interests.
Another reason given would be that i diktat of the great powers in this context are not considered credible or acceptable as they come from countries which in the past have not shown themselves respectful of the same international law whose observance they are now demanding. The memories are always alive'Iraq, in 2003, of the Kosovo, in 1999, and of the Libya of Gaddafi, whose violent dismissal has produced so many harmful consequences in Sahel, including Islamic terrorism. On closer inspection, however, it is difficult to compare those events with today's conflict in Ukraine, since the interventions in Libya and Iraq were supported by a large segment of the population victim of dictatorial regimes, while the Ukrainians were not in favor of the Russian invasion nor to a change of government, which was democratic and pro-European.
The alliance with a nuclear power like Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council, certainly represents a guarantee to be preserved for the pursuit of the interests of African countries which, in this way, no longer feel marginalized in relation to the rest of the world , rejecting a reverential attitude towards the old colonial powers, which now find themselves in the awkward position of having to ask Africa for help. But it is Africa that still needs the help of the West, guilty of closing its eyes to all the threats to international peace and security coming from the black continent, first of all the jihadist terrorism which infests the Sahel, not to mention all the problems related to climate change, the food crisis and the various pandemics, with respect to which the African heads of state have denounced the entire failure of Western-based multilateralism.
THEAlgeria and Morocco, for example, they have strengthened their bond with the Russian Federation precisely in conjunction with the war in Ukraine, by virtue of the alleged respect for the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of another state. L'Algeria abstained in the AG when it came to voting against Russia and went further by voting against in the decision on the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. In reality, it is military interests that orientate Algeria in a pro-Russian direction, this country being the world's third largest importer of Russian arms after India and China. The series of joint military exercises strengthens the cooperation between Russia and Algeria, as demonstrated by the operation "Vostok 2022” in Siberia, with the participation also of China and Belarus.
The abstentions at the UN of'Algeria and strong Russian-Algerian military relations are a source of concern for the West, to which Algeria responds by reclaiming its defense sovereignty and maintaining its neutrality with respect to the Ukrainian conflict. Moreover, a clear confrontation against Algeria is not even convenient for that Europe which, detaching itself from Russia in the supply of hydrocarbons, is now turning to the Algerian market.
The same alleged neutrality concerned the Morocco, who also abstained in several UN votes against Russia. Morocco is Moscow's first commercial partner in Africa, supplying itself with fertilizers and agricultural products. Furthermore, always in the context of the Russian-Moroccan cooperation, is in I plan the construction of a nuclear power plant in Moroccan territory, albeit for peaceful purposes.
Other geopolitical reasons push Morocco towards a soft attitude with its Russian ally, by virtue of its position as permanent member of the Security Council which is asked for its support on the issue of Western Sahara, with respect to which theAlgeria calls for respect for the principle of self-determination of the Saharawi people and support for the independentists of the Polisario Front. Up to now, the Kremlin has adopted a balanced position on this issue that is not hostile to Morocco, given the breakdown of diplomatic ties between Morocco and Algeria, both of whose populations have a markedly pro-Russian attitude and an intolerance towards Ukraine.
According to African recriminations, Western countries appear rather intent on imposing on others an international order more suited to their own interests than to those of the international community as a whole, and in this order of recriminations a more relevant role is claimed than Africa in international fora such as the G20 or the Security Council, where the African Union and the countries it represents claim a permanent presence.
However, recourse to the classification of non-aligned countries, while it could have made sense during the Cold War in distancing oneself from the opposition between the two blocs, today seems a weak concept to justify an alleged neutrality with respect to the conflict in Ukraine, where it is faced with a manifest violation of the UN Charter, perpetrated through a distortion of the borders of a sovereign and independent nation through the use of force by, moreover, a permanent member of the Security Council.