Africa divided on the UN resolution on Ukraine
The result of the United Nations vote on a resolution on the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, March 2, 2022. AP - Seth Wenig
Text by: Alexandra Brangeon Follow
3 mins
On Wednesday, March 2, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine;
141 countries approved this text, 5 opposed it and 35 abstained.
More than half of these were from African countries.
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Twenty-eight African countries voted in favor of the UN resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
One country on the continent voted against: Eritrea.
And 25 African countries have not spoken
.
Abstainers, but also countries that were not present on the day of the vote.
An Africa divided into two camps, underlines Francis Kpatindé, lecturer at Sciences-Po Paris: "
On the one hand, those who could be described as pro-Western, countries such as Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire , Egypt or Tunisia.
As well as Ghana, Gabon and Kenya, which are all three non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
And on the other side, you have countries, historically considered close to the Soviet Union – among the abstainers – like Algeria, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville.
Countries that flirted with Marxism-Leninism.
And you have
new friends from Russia like the Central African Republic
.
»
► To read also: Why Morocco abstained from voting for the UN resolution on Ukraine
For this researcher, the strong abstention is partly explained by a return to the policy of non-alignment of the 1960s on the African continent, led by countries such as Uganda, which has just taken over the presidency of the Movement of -aligned, Tanzania or South Africa, which after condemning the Russian invasion has backtracked towards a more neutral policy.
Speaking at the United Nations, the South African representative also regretted that this resolution did not create an environment more favorable to dialogue and mediation.
A certain distance from African countries
There is a certain caution in not getting involved on one side or the other in a conflict that does not directly concern African states, emphasizes Professor Mor Ndao, a Senegalese historian: “
It is difficult to take a position because Russia has contributed significantly to the accompaniment of the national liberation movements of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, South Africa.
The umbilical cord has never been cut.
And NATO and the Western bloc have a certain dispute with the African States, in particular for example on the management of the Libyan crisis and its repercussions on the geopolitics of the Sahel in Africa.
So I think it's all these aspects that invite African states to a certain distance from this conflict.
It is a wise position that even allows the African Union to deploy and be an actor in matters of conciliation and mediation.
»
But the strong abstention of African countries cannot be explained solely by the desire to preserve neutrality vis-à-vis the two blocs.
There is also a desire not to offend Russia, a powerful commercial and military partner on the continent, adds Michel Galy, professor at the Institute of International Relations in Paris: "
There are countries which are in the process of passing alliances with Moscow, whether through
the Wagner group
interposed such as Mali or the Central African Republic.
And then, there was recently a delegation from Sudan to Russia to rebuild military cooperation, even to establish a Russian base in Sudan.
So in the midst of negotiations, Sudan has no desire to alienate Russia.
»
All note Senegal's abstention, despite its political proximity to France.
President Macky Sall - also current Chairman of the African Union - recalled in a press release Dakar's "
attachment
" to "
respect for the independence and sovereignty of States"
while reaffirming
"its adherence to the principles of non-alignment
”.
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