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Rabat – Amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the African Union (AU) voiced concerns over the “ill treatment” of Africans who seek to flee Ukraine.
“[We] are particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety,” said Chairperson of the AU and President of Senegal Macky Sall and Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat in a joint statement.
The two officials said they are closely following the alarming situation in Ukraine, underlining that “all people have the right to cross international borders during conflicts.
They also noted that all people, regardless of their nationality or racial identity, “should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine.”
In videos recently shared online, Africans have been discriminated against attempting to board public transport to evacuate Ukraine. The AU said such treatment “would be shockingly racist and in breach of international law.”
The official visuals of Ukrainians blocking Africans from getting on trains. #AfricansinUkraine pic.twitter.com/hJYpM3LY0A
— Damilare / ViF (@Damilare_arah) February 26, 2022
The chairpersons urged countries to abide by international law while showing “the same empathy and support to all people fleeing war.”
The chairpersons also commended AU Member State countries and their embassies based in Ukraine’s neighboring countries for their continuous efforts in welcoming and guiding African citizens to cross the border from Ukraine.
As the Russian military offensive in Ukraine continues, several people took to social media to denounce the racism and discrimination against Africans who were blocked from getting on rescue trains.
Videos shared on Twitter under the hashtag #AfricansinUkraine gained millions of views. While several countries appeared to be less welcoming of African refugees, Romania welcomed African nationals who were stranded at the borders.
Romania ?? has been good to #AfricansinUkraine
While you pray for Nigeria ?? & Ukraine ??, also thank God for Romania ??
HAPPY NEW MONTH #March2022pic.twitter.com/lpS2kX7Q05
— Afrokonnect (@AfrokonnectNG) March 1, 2022
Twitter has also erupted over western media’s racist coverage of the Ukrainian. Many netizens expressed outrage over reporters’ “racist and Orientalist” remarks on Western media outlets.
Read Also: UNHCR: Half Million People Fled Ukraine Amid Rising Conflict
