Africa Is the Biggest Victim of the Ukrainian War
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo argued today, at a press conference at the closing of the Summit for Peace in Ukraine, organized by the Swiss Government in the outskirts of Lucerne, that Africa is, to date, the biggest victim of the war in Ukraine, due to the consequences of the conflict on the international food trade, with a significant increase in prices and inflation.
“The consequences of the war go beyond the confines of Europe and, in many ways, Africa is the main victim, due to the disruption of global trade, supply chains and the blockade of the Black Sea.”
The head of state stated.
The president was invited to speak at this conference as a representative of the so-called Global South (developing countries), as was his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric.
The End of the Conference
At the conference, where journalists were not allowed to take questions, statements were also made by European Union President Ursula Von Der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Akufo-Addo stressed that all countries should be interested in participating in initiatives to restore Ukraine to lasting peace.
He considered, however, that a definitive solution to the conflict cannot be reached unless a way is found to involve Russia and China in the deliberations.
The peace conference in Ukraine, organized by Switzerland following a request from the Ukrainian President, brought together representatives from around eighty countries and organizations, half of which were from Europe, but it was the absences that were most significant (invitations were extended to 160 delegations from around the world).
The most significant absence was Russia, as it was not invited. The Kremlin counted on the "solidarity" of several countries that declined to participate in the summit due to its absence, as did China, as they considered there was no path to peace that did not involve all parties involved in the conflict.
Putin's Proposal
On Friday, Putin promised to immediately order a ceasefire in Ukraine and begin negotiations if Kyiv began withdrawing troops from the four regions that make up the Dombas, which voted for self-determination in 2022, and abandoned plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The proposal was flatly rejected by Ukraine, the US, and NATO.
In the summit's final communiqué, the West reinforced its support for Kyiv and rejected Moscow's terms for a ceasefire, arguing that the Russian proposal would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity and its right to NATO membership. It was considered that the Russian proposal, in practice, demands Ukraine's surrender, thus compromising its sovereignty.
Among the countries that attended the conference and did not sign the final communiqué were the member states of BRICS, a bloc composed of Brazil, India, South Africa, China and Russia, as well as Armenia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico.
Conclusion
Africa continues to be severely impacted by the consequences of the war in Ukraine, especially with regard to international trade and food security, and this summit completely ignored Europe's responsibility for this issue.
On the other hand, the lack of solutions that include all parties involved in the conflict makes it difficult to achieve lasting peace, clearly demonstrating that, unfortunately, the West continues to look only to itself, considering itself the master of the world and, consequently, the sole holders of the truth.
They couldn't be more wrong.
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Picture: © 2024 DR
