AN opinion poll carried out in the six African countries which traveled to Ukraine and Russia on a peace mission has revealed that a majority of the citizens in those countries feel the Russian invasion of Ukraine was against the principles of international law.
The majority of the citizens from the six African countries that include Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda still of the feeling that the Russian forces should withdraw from Ukraine.
According to an international research company, Ipsos, African citizens strongly believe that Russia was guilty of committing war crimes against Ukraine.
Ipsos said in a press statement from Johannesburg, in South Africa that many Africans were asking their governments to care about Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine and should therefore insist on the withdrawal of the Russian forces in the occupied territories.
The press statement was issued ahead of the African Peace Initiative visit to Kyiv and Moscow by the African leaders, the upcoming Russia/Africa meetings in St. Petersburg, and the BRICS Summit in South Africa in August this year.
Ipsos said it polled African citizens on their attitude towards Russia, and Ukraine and the controversial position on the war taken by some African governments.
It said the findings were from a random study among African individuals aged 18 years and above who it said expressed an interest in news and politics in the Six African countries that traveled to Kyiv and Moscow on a peace mission.
A majority (of Africans) felt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was against the principles of international law, that Russian forces should withdraw from Ukraine, and that Russia was guilty of committing war crimes in Ukraine. These were the most important findings in a random study among individuals 18 years old and older, who expressed an interest in news and politics in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia,” the statement reads in part.
According to Ipsos, Africans have expressed strong feelings that their Continent should stay non-aligned or neutral in the Russia/Ukraine conflict and that Kenyans, especially, felt that Africa should not take sides in the war.
It said however that a smaller proportion of Nigerians thought strongly that Africa could not afford to remain neutral in the war and should support Ukraine.
“Large majorities agreed that the war was not in Africa’s best interest, as it had detrimental effects on food supply and energy costs at home. Large majorities also agreed that “having lived through colonialism, conflict, and forced occupations, we should not support any country in their attempts to illegally annex parts of another country without consequences”. However, Africans are not immune to regretting the devastation of war and they feel that both Russians and Ukrainians are war victims,” the statement said.
Ipsos said most Africans took a neutral stance when asked about whether their own government should support Russia or Ukraine with the majority maintaining that the ideal outcome would be somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.
“It is important to observe that larger proportions in all seven countries thought support for Ukraine rather than for Russia was in the best interest of their countries,” Ipsos said.
