Africa press review
In the spotlight: Africa facing the war in Ukraine
Audio 04:03
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a filmed intervention, February 25, 2022. © REUTERS/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SE
By: Norbert Navarro
3 mins
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Starting with the press in Mali, where, on newsstands this morning (or on the Internet, it depends), the reader will discover an unexpected face in these latitudes, that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside the more familiar here, of Vladimir Putin.
On that of Malikilé, for example, it is a Russian president all smiles who appears against the background of an image of columns of smoke rising in the sky after a bombardment.
"
Russia is
taking action," says Malikilé's headline soberly.
"
In less than 24 hours, Vladimir Putin won, without firing a shot, important military victories,
" states this Malian newspaper.
As he further underlines, this flash offensive provoked, as one might expect, “
a panic among the civilian populations and led more than 100,000 displaced people on the roads, some of whom will seek refuge in neighboring European countries.
These, despite their blows of the chin, will they open their borders greatly or will they barricade themselves in front of these new
"migrants"
?
asks Malikilé.
When elephants trample the grass
Concern of the press also in neighboring Burkina Faso.
Witness
Wakat Sera
.
Which newspaper underlines the paradox of this war “
so far but so close to Africa!
".
Africa remains "
strongly linked
" to the United States and to Europe, completes this Ouagadougou daily, according to which "there is
no doubt that the guns that will thunder in Kiev, Kharkiv or Odessa will have such dramatic echoes in the tropics where countries will also be pushed to take a stand in this worrying war for the entire planet
.
As the African proverb says
, "when elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers", sighs Wakat Sera.
It is therefore quite logical that Africans fear the 3rd World War
”, fears this Burkinabè newspaper.
The Putin model in Africa
Same tone in Senegal, where the titles of the press sometimes ignite.
That of the daily
EnQuête
is a good example.
“
On the edge of chaos!
“Launches this Dakar newspaper.
On the inside page, however, the reader will discover that the chaos feared here is none other than “
economic chaos
”.
Reviewing “
commodities like oil, gas, wheat
” now “
under threat
,” he writes.
InQuest
points out that this conflict may take place "
thousands of kilometers away
", it could have "
devastating impacts
".
Exactly.
“
What repercussions on Africa
”, also wonders
Le Pays
, in Burkina Faso.
As this Ouagadougou daily enjoins, Africa “
would be wrong not to feel concerned by this war which is taking place a thousand leagues from home
”.
But beyond the potential economic impacts of this conflict,
Le Pays
also wonders “
what impact such a military incursion by Russia into Ukraine could have on the image of a Putin who is not lacking in admirers on the continent. Africa where more and more opinions are demanding freedom for African countries to choose their partners.
This because of a desire to break with the old order often suspected of neo-colonialism”.
The retreats from the Maghreb
Another potential repercussion of this armed conflict in Ukraine is the repatriation of African nationals residing in Ukraine.
Students, mainly.
A real headache for the Maghreb countries, the withdrawal of their nationals to Ukraine is being organized, reports
Jeune Afrique
.
Among them, 1,500 Tunisians, who feel "
left to fend for themselves, at the heart of a war that does not concern them
", points out the site of this pan-African newspaper.
Problem, Tunisia does not have an embassy in Kiev.
Tunisians in Ukraine must report to their embassy in… Moscow!
"
The Tunisian government is currently negotiating with Romania for authorization to transport Tunisian nationals by bus from the Ukrainian border to a Romanian airport from where they could take off for Tunis
,” reports
Jeune Afrique.
For Moroccans in Ukraine, it's worse, since there are 10,000 of them!
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