If there is any event that has taken the world’s attention in the past days and up to this moment, it is definitely the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has permeated every discourse; from politics, to economic sanctions and their ripple effects, to sports with the removal of Russia as the host of this year’s champions league final, religion and definitely international relations.
But what makes this war special as there are ongoing wars in different parts of the world today; in Yemen, Syria, Ethopia and pockets of security infractions in parts of Africa? Some of these wars are more than a decade.
Professor Jideofor Adibe, a notable political science scholar in Nigeria and beyond has shed meaningful insights into the whole drama. Professor Jideofor who was speaking during an interview on Arise TV with veteran journalist Dr. Reuben Abati hit the ground running by saying that Ukraine has been part of Russia for a very long time up until 1991 when Russia imploded.
The birth of the current Ukraine came with it two groups; those who are pro Russia and those who are pro-West, so what we see now has been a time bomb waiting to tick. He also traced it to the 2014 dignity protest which saw the removal of the then Ukrainian president who leaned toward Russia. Russia who logically felt threatened by the development responded by annexing Crimea a month after the removal of the pro Russia president.
He opined that Russia’s opposing stance on Ukraine joining the NATO is justifiable borrowing a leaf from the Monroe doctrine. This doctrine formulated by a former president of the US states that countries should not try to colonize other countries and that a country has the right to maintain its own area of influence.
Responding to a question on the place of diplomacy in the ongoing conflict, Professor Jideofor states that though it appears as if diplomacy has failed, yet we cannot be so certain as those involved, including the US and other NATO allies may be playing a game of brinkmanship and thus the matter might eventually be settled through negotiations, he regretted though that the crisis is taking unprecedented number of lives.
The place of Africa in the crisis was also a point of note. Professor Jideofor said that though countries like Ghana and Nigeria have made official reactions to Russia’s act, it may not make any significant different to the situation on ground.
For him the idea of a world war 3 may not hold water for now, and bringing it back to Africa he asked if Africa was ready to be a refuge center for refugees from other continents in the case where there’s a world war.
Dear reader, what do you think on Africa’s place?
