So Ukraine is Near

By  Kayode Komolafe

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

As Nigeria is expected to begin today the evacuation of her citizens fleeing war-ravaged Ukraine, the two countries appear close to each other in humanitarian terms despite the physical distance.

The troubled Nigerians are among the more than half a million refugees crossing the borders of Ukraine to other countries since the invasion of the country by Russia. Two Nigerian airlines – Airpeace and Max Air – are expected to carry out the airlifting of these Nigerians back home.

Indeed, another humanitarian disaster is looming in that corner of the globe. It is, at least, a relief that Nigeria is taking steps (albeit belated) to save its nationals from the crisis. It is officially estimated that there are over 8, 000 Nigerians (mostly students) in Ukraine.

Yet only a couple of months ago, one could be accused of slipping into Afghanistanism (focussing on foreign topics while there are urgent issues at home for discussion) if the situation in Ukraine was made the subject of reflection. Ukraine is the news globally now. The 4, 840 kilometre-air travel distance between Nigeria and Ukraine has been virtually shortened because of the consequences of the war in that country on Nigeria. Somehow, Ukraine appears to be nearby in terms of the impact of what’s happening to the country that up till 1991 was a part of the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

The first reason why the war in Ukraine may seem not so distant from Nigeria anymore is the rise in the international price of crude oil. Ordinarily that should have been good news for the Nigerian economy that’s direly in need of a boost. The rise in the price of crude is one of the consequences of the battery of sanctions imposed on Russia (a major oil exporter) by member-countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). But experts appear to agree that the rise in the international oil price might not mean much fortune for Nigeria that is also importing fuel.

At a more human and moral level is the condition of Nigerians desirous of evacuation from the war zone. The footages of black people (including Nigerians) being turned back by some European neighbours of Ukraine brings Ukraine mentally closer to Nigeria. The human gap between the two countries is by far shorter than the physical distance. As black people Nigerians are, of course, not immune to the upsurge of racism at the Ukrainian borders. From the rhetoric on the war, the condition of the black people escaping from Ukraine doesn’t seem to be a priority. It is, however, a good thing that Poland refuted yesterday some reports in the cyberspace alleging that the country shut its doors against some black people including Nigerians.

An official Polish statement described the reports as “fake news” while the head of the border guard said that all “those who need help will find it” in Poland. Other neighbours of Ukraine should give similar assurances and ensure the adequate protection of those seeking refuge in their countries according to international laws and conventions. This is because the images coming out of Ukraine show that the figures of civilian casualties are mounting the despite the claims of Russia that only military installations are targeted in Ukraine. The festering humanitarian crisis in Ukraine should, of course, be put in the context of the bloody conflict which has been on since the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia. Emigration of citizens has been a continual trend in Ukraine, which is the second-poorest country in Europe. The attacks by Russia have exacerbated this trend. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) put at 677, 000 yesterday the number of people who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in less than a week. In 24 hours 150, 000 crossed the borders. About 12 million people who are still Ukraine are said to be in need of urgent relief and protection from the attacks. Refugee agencies are already planning for humanitarian aid that would cost millions of dollars.

In the light of this global alert about the looming humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the federal government should ensure the utmost efficiency of the evacuation of Nigerians escaping from the crisis.

Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama has assured that with Romania as the hub, it would be possible to evacuate Nigerians at the borders. The urgency of the operations cannot be over-emphasised especially because Nigeria has lost more than week to act expeditiously. Nigerian diplomats in Ukraine were allegedly busy reading the mind President Vladimir Putin of Russia instead of putting in place the operations to evacuate Nigerians. However, the lost ground could still be recovered.

Nigeria should save her citizens caught up in the conflict while the world continues to hope that the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would bring about a speedy ceasefire. That seems to be the logic of the global response to the crisis. Even NATO member-countries that are heavily implicated in the war as partisans ensured that their citizens left Ukraine before the rain of bombs from Russia. Those countries were not content with merely speculating about the Putin’s intention.

The inexorable impacts of the war in Ukraine constitute another sober reminder that Nigeria should be ever conscious of its place in the world. This would determine how Nigeria sees the world with its independent perspective as a leader in Africa.

In this respect, Nigeria’s unequivocal condemnation of Africans feeling Ukraine two days ago was quite apt in the circumstance. President Muhammadu Buhari said: “All who flee a conflict situation have same right to safe passage under UN convention and the colour of their passports or their skin should make no difference.” It would be difficult for any country to fault that assertion.

Beyond that it is important for Nigeria and other African countries to take a clearly independent view of things in the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine.

The reality of the impacts of the war has shown that Nigeria is not as distant from the point at issue in the conflict as some pundits might think. The killings and destruction in Ukraine should be roundly condemned. The callous attacks by Russia should stop. No principle can justify the heartless killings of children and other defenceless people in Ukraine.

Nigeria and other African could raise their voices as loudly as possible in opposition to the war without lining up behind western countries in their sickening hypocrisy on the war in Ukraine. African countries should learn from Nelson Mandela, who in 2003 condemned categorically the lawless invasion of Iraq based on pure lies by the same western countries now moralising about invasion in Ukraine. Mandela was a lone moral voice at the time.

The invasion of Iraq was as criminal as the present invasion of Ukraine.

So the world should also call on NATO to stop its misadventure in the eastward expansion of the membership of their military alliance, a cold war creation. The West provoked this war by insisting on the Ukraine membership of NATO while demonising Putin. Countries that would not permit their neighbours to strike a military pact with Russia on the ground of sovereignty are pushing the world to the brink of a nuclear war by insisting that NATO membership should extend to the Russian border.

All told, given the fact that the countries involved in the reckless geo-political contest embedded in this war are nuclear powers, Ukraine may not be as far away as one might think.