Russia- Ukraine war is Not an African War.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine advances into its second month, the war’s effects continue to ripple across the world. In Africa, the conflict has had a rise in the prices of essential commodities. Many African states are eliciting mixed reactions regarding whether to stand with the West against Russia or support Russia’s aggressive acts. As it is, the African continent is left with an impending food shortage and high-energy prices. The war threatens to make prices of essential commodities go beyond the roof owing to the sanction imposed on Russia by the West and the pressure from the West to boycott Russian oil and gas to the African states. 

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In Africa, especially Kenya, we wonder whether we should suffer because two European countries are at war over a boundary we have very little knowledge about. We are tempted to question why we cannot just remain neutral; import the Russian oil in rubbles, buy the Ukrainian wheat in their currencies, and continue with our lives. Must we wait until the war ends? Will there be another Geneva treaty for peace so that the prices would go back to normal?

In my opinion, Africans must be self-reliant. If there is, a lesson Kenyans need to learn from the Russia Ukraine war is self-reliant. We need to have a continent that trades with the West robustly. It should be such that even if they are at war, we should be able to sell our commodities within the continent and move on with our lives, the way the West turns a deaf ear when we are fighting our senseless wars.  

This does not mean that we should not buy stuff from the West, but we should trade such that Nigeria can refine and sell their crude oils first to African countries and then the surplus to another continent. I believe this is possible because we have the population and workforce, which form the market’s basis. The latest statistic showed that the African population is close to three billion, which even the Chinese population envies. We can take advantage of the prominent market and focus on trading with fellow African states even if we use the dollars of the United States.