On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine with bombings in Kiev and several major cities. This gigantic diplomatic crisis has had serious repercussions not only on European countries but also beyond continental borders. Africa, a strategic continent in international relations, has not escaped the impacts of this conflict.
It is already 19 days since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. Civilians and soldiers were killed. Similarly, many fighter planes, ships and tanks have been destroyed since the beginning of the conflict. In the report published on 2 March 2022, Moscow reported 500 soldiers killed and about 1600 wounded on the Russian side. On the other hand, on Tuesday 8 March, the Pentagon gave an estimate of between 2000 and 4000 Russian deaths. These figures are not exhaustive, as the clashes are still going on. On the Ukrainian side, no assessment has yet been made public. In early March, Moscow claimed that 2,800 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed.
Since then, thousands of African residents, students and migrants have been repatriated or have left the country to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. As a result, this conflict is considered the most devastating since the Second World War. For it has had a great impact on the international community, which has probably not spared African continent.
African economy at half-mast before the conflict
Africa’s economic situation was not good enough before the crisis. Indeed, the continent was struggling to revive its economy after the Covid 19 pandemic when Russia invaded Ukraine. To this end, the World Bank Group had mobilised over $157 billion to address the health, social and economic impacts of the crisis.
Then food became expensive in West Africa and the North. A situation to which the government was already seeking a response. According to the African Development Bank, the 43 energy-importing African countries suffer indirectly from rising oil, coal and gas prices. This situation was already worrying people before the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. For example, developing countries face increasing risks from financial insecurity caused by the health crisis and the lack of transparency in debt data, according to the World Bank’s World Development Report 2022. A lot of difficulties faced by the continent before the war in Ukraine.
Africa on the brink of a socio-economic abyss?
In addition, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the United Nations on the Kremlin are accelerating the rise in commodity prices. The continuing rise in gas and energy prices poses a double threat to Africa. In addition to hydrocarbons, aid to the African economy may first stop because the major powers and international organisations are actively struggling to find a way out of the Kremlin crisis first.
Sub-Saharan Africa, which is heavily dependent on humanitarian aid, will be faced with terrible difficulties. Kenya, East Africa’s largest power and a major exporter of tea to Russia, may be facing a challenge to its vital tea industry. This is simply because Russia, one of the five major tea consuming countries, was providing Kenya with foreign exchange. Moreover, Russia and Ukraine supply 30% of the world’s wheat. Bread prices could rise in the Maghreb countries, which are heavily dependent on wheat. In Morocco, road transporters went on strike on 7 March to protest against the soaring price of diesel.
Tunisia is facing a real shortage of basic foodstuffs. Prices of basic commodities such as sugar, rice, semolina and flour have risen dramatically as the country is half dependent on foreign food supplies. And the majority comes from Ukraine. To this will be added thousands of repatriated nationals who will swell the already high unemployment rate on the continent. In addition to these impacts, tourism activities will take a hit. Not to mention the war trauma that will forever impact yields on the continent.
African countries divided on the situation in Ukraine
On Wednesday 2 March 2022, Russia was to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by voting in the United Nations General Assembly. Indeed, out of 193 member countries, 141 approved the resolution while 16 African countries abstained and 8 were absent. Eritrea voted against the resolution.
The most striking case is the abstinence of Senegal, whose president, Macky Sall, current chairperson of the AU, supported an immediate ceasefire with the agreement of the chairperson of the organisation’s commission. Abstinence that surprised many people. In the same wave are Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali, three countries currently ruled by the military following coups. The latter are clearly unwilling to make their positions known. In particular, it would be very difficult for Mali and the Central African Republic to vote against Russia when they are receiving substantial assistance from the Wagner in the fight against terrorism.
In general, the views of 22 African countries remain elusive on the current crisis in Ukraine. Clearly, Africa seems divided or at least divided about the current situation in Europe. And while European countries are working to find a way out of the crisis, African countries are struggling to repatriate their nationals. This priority is explained by the fact that Africans are allegedly mistreated and victims of racism in Ukraine and Poland. This situation is of particular concern to the parents, who in turn are putting pressure on the government for the safe return of their children.
African hydrocarbon giants could rise to prominence
African hydrocarbon producing countries could reverse the trend by making their gas and oil available to the continent. Thus, Nigeria hopes to recover by exporting its oil to the affected areas of the continent. To make up for the lack of hydrocarbons in the countries of the European Union, Algeria had already announced its desire to supply gas to Europe. Libya could also export its oil across the continent. Given the urgency of the situation, the European Commission expressed on 8 March its intention to diversify its gas supply.
In addition to these three main producers on the continent, Angola, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Chad are among the top 10 African oil producers according to OPEC. The latter have the opportunity to make their products available to the continent to reduce the impact of the war in Ukraine. It is therefore very important that Africans address this issue in order to avoid an unprecedented social and economic crisis on the continent.