Ukraine and Poland must apologise for humiliating African leaders
• By Rikondja Ben Katjitundu
THE reception of the seven African presidents, on a peace mission to Russia and Ukraine, by Poland and Ukraine must have set the tone for the African Union to express its unequivocal solidarity with Russia after witnessing the racist and disrespectful behaviour of Poland and Ukraine towards the seven African Presidents.
Ukraine and Poland’s disrespect contrasts the reception President Vladimir Putin displayed towards the seven African presidents to Russia in search of peace and the detailed information President Putin provided about the genesis of the Military Special Operations in Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
The West, led by the United States of America, deliberately humiliated President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation, denying them diplomatic courtesy and protocol protections guaranteed by diplomatic practice.
Such breaches of diplomatic law must have consequences for these European countries, with specific reference to Poland and Ukraine.
Firstly, the African Union must take the lead in protecting the dignity of Africa and its leadership and should demand apologies from the European countries of Poland and Ukraine for the diplomatic humiliation experienced by the seven African presidents.
Secondly, the African Union, as a collective, must solidly support the Russian position on the Military Special Operations in Ukraine; thirdly, abandon neutrality or non-alignment stands on the war and speak with one voice of solidarity with Russia.
It is now apparent that the Russian/Ukraine war is a reflection of American/European Imperialist expansion aimed at the destruction of the Russian Federation for global hegemonic dominance of the Global South, the destruction of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) as a potential geostrategic competitor against the G7 (Group of Seven) and imperialist Global North, which is the desired outcome of this war.
After a careful analytical account of the realignment and rebalancing of the old global unilateral geostrategic architecture, Africa has no choice but to join the BRICS as the locomotive of the emerging global architecture of multilateralism.
The African Union should express diplomatic displeasure and dismay towards Poland and Ukraine for their racist practices against the seven African presidents on a peace mission to Russia and Ukraine.
I recommend that African governments must sever diplomatic relations with Poland and Ukraine, expel their diplomats from Africa, and send a strong message that Africa is no longer the playground of western European, white supremacist imperialism. Africa must stand solidly with Russia in its anti-imperialist crusade against European imperialism.
*Rikondja Ben Katjitundu Karamata is an academic in diplomacy in international law advocacy.