Photo credit, AFP
Before the conflict, there were several thousand African students in Ukraine.
Images of African nationals facing difficulties fleeing Ukraine and reports of abuse have sparked an outpouring of condemnation in Africa, and around the world.
“Shocking and racist” according to the African Union
The African Union expresses its concern at reports that Africans in Ukraine are being denied the right to cross the border to safety.
The organization urges all countries to respect international law and offer assistance to anyone fleeing war, regardless of race.
“Reports of Africans being singled out for unacceptable different treatment would be shocking and racist and violate international law,” the AU said in a statement released on Monday.
The Union salutes the member countries and their embassies in countries neighboring Ukraine which support people fleeing war.
Photo credit, Archyde.com
Africans living in Ukraine have complained of racism on the Ukraine-Poland border.
Nigeria worries regarding its nationals
The Nigerian government has also condemned reports that its citizens, and those of other African countries, have been prevented from leaving war-torn Ukraine.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said there are around 4,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, mostly students.
He said one group had been repeatedly refused entry to Poland, so they returned to Ukraine heading to Hungary instead.
“All those fleeing a situation of conflict have the same right to safe passage under the UN Convention, and the color of their passport or their skin should make no difference,” Buhari said in a statement. tweet.
So far, more than 500,000 Ukrainians have managed to flee the Russian invasion.
Concern for African students
A senior South African foreign ministry official, Clayson Monyela, also said on Twitter that “South African students and other Africans were mistreated on the Ukraine-Poland border.”
There have been numerous reports of Ukrainian security officials preventing Africans from taking buses and trains heading to the border.
As the BBC reported, other students reported similar experiences, as did a young Nigerian woman in the eastern city of Dnipro. She still struggles to get on a train but also tries to arrange private transportation with a group of other strangers.
Isaac, a Nigerian trying to enter Poland who the BBC spoke to, said border staff told him they “don’t deal with Africans”.
“We were chased back, we were hit by police with sticks when we tried to pressure and push forward,” he told the BBC.
Photo credit, Getty Images
Martin Kimani also condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Racism condemned at the UN
Kenya’s Ambassador to the UN Security Council, Martin Kimani, has expressed concern over various reports of racism once morest Africans.
He pointed out on Monday that several states have confirmed that their nationals are being mistreated.
Mr. Kimani called for an immediate end to racism and the mistreatment of Africans trying to flee Ukraine.
“The mistreatment of African people at Europe’s borders must stop immediately, whether it is Africans fleeing Ukraine or those crossing the Mediterranean,” Martin Kimani, Kenya’s ambassador, said on Monday. at the United Nations.
Michel Xavier Biang, Gabon’s representative to the UN Security Council, also expressed his concern regarding the discrimination suffered by African students who want to leave Ukraine.
In particular, he described these acts of racism as unacceptable.
EU and US support
The European Union Ambassador to the DRC, Jean-Marc Châtaigner, shared the African Union statement on Twitter, adding the following message:
“Anyone wishing to leave Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, must be able to do so, without any discrimination.
Alerted by this information, we informed the parties concerned. Evacuations are underway. 200 Congolese #DRC have already been able to find refuge in Poland.”
The US Office of African Affairs also publicly supported the AU statement on Twitter and added that:
“The United States is coordinating with United Nations agencies and other governments to ensure that every person, including African students, who crosses into Ukraine seeking refuge, is treated equally, regardless of race, religion or nationality.”
The US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee also expressed concern over the treatment of African students and non-Ukranians seeking to flee and said: “All asylum seekers should be given equal treatment.”