(3 minutes read)
- Ukraine is finding it hard to win attention in Southern Africa
- Kyiv’s ambassador to South Africa says the region still retains a lot of sympathy for Moscow dating from the apartheid era. In the 1970’s and 80’s, the Soviet Union supported several anti-colonial movements in southern Africa winning the heart of Africans and South Africans in particular
- It is a fact that the erstwhile USSR supported South Africans in their drive to eradicate apartheid. Despite having a sizable number of students from Southern Africa studying in Ukraine, it could not open up an effective channel to communicate with most of the people in Africa.
Ukraine is finding it hard to win attention in Southern Africa. Kyiv’s ambassador to South Africa says the region still retains a lot of sympathy for Moscow dating from the apartheid era. In the 1970’s and 80’s, the Soviet Union supported several anti-colonial movements in southern Africa winning the hearts of Africans and South Africans in particular.
It is a fact that the erstwhile USSR supported South Africans in their drive to eradicate apartheid. Despite having a sizable number of students from Southern Africa studying in Ukraine, it could not open up an effective channel to communicate with most of the people in Africa. Even though South Africa initially supported Ukraine, it abstained from voting Russia when the resolution condemning the Russian aggression came for voting at the UN. Ukraine expected support from South Africa, going by its initial reactions against Russia.
Also read:
https://trendsnafrica.com/russia-ukraine-war-may-affect-food-grain-supplies-to-africa/#:~:text
Accounts of discrimination and maltreatment of African nationals trying to flee Ukraine have also contributed to public mood going against Ukraine. Ukraine’s security forces stopped Africans, mostly students from getting on trains in favour of its citizens and European nationals since the European countries supported the Ukrainian cause and imposed sanctions on aggressor Russia. It is also significant to note that on Wednesday (3 March), South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe abstained from a UN vote condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
https://trendsnafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/suez.jpg