The horrors of war cannot be overemphasized. The hurt it leaves, the trauma, destruction of lives and properties cannot be quantified. It goes beyond the soldiers on the battlefield, or the support team in the control room, to the immediate locals who quickly become victims and other regions nearby.
The war may have begun a few months ago, but the casualties are overwhelming, with the year gradually ending. The destruction of lives and properties is ridiculously high, and the funding on both sides is so increased that you would wonder why you spend so much to continue the acts of destruction.
Not just Ukraine and Russia but the rest of the world (including Africa) are seriously experiencing the effect of the war. The first signal was the high increase in petrol which was over $100 per barrel. Then you look at high cases of immigrants piling up to the existing instances already being dealt with. Then inflation is almost wholly ignored while continuous funding running in billions of dollars is still being offered in support, alongside weapons and aid.
The situation in Europe and America may be more defined and could be said to be a regular thing with regard to the effect of the war. However, to Africa, it is a completely different ball game. For a continent not directly involved in the war, feeling the direct effect of the war as though it was involved in it makes a revelation that should concern anyone who is counting on the continent.
To start with, Africa contains a healthy list of the highest oil-producing countries in the world. With these resources it is disappointing that refining these resources cannot be thoroughly carried out in these countries or anywhere within the continent. While the increase in oil barrels would be attributed to the fact that most of Europe relies on Russian oil to function, this should not be the case for a continent that collectively has more than the reserve in Russia.
Also, the war held the exportation of agro-products like wheat. Some form of truce had to be called to allow shipments of grain to be transported to various locations worldwide, including Africa. This is a continent with one of the most fertile lands in the world, and it still relies on a country like Ukraine for its wheat supply. Byproducts requiring grain were so expensive for their absence, raising the question of the problem.
In a time like this, when the motherland should be where everyone would come to for aid, the world would rather wait for peace to return to a war-torn country(ies). This is the sad reality of Africa amid a war between Ukraine and Russia – that, as a mother continent, it cannot even provide enough to sustain itself and talk more of the global community, which should ordinarily depend on it.
The message passed here is simple – take advantage of this harsh reality and change the narrative by doing something positive and strategic about exploring and maximizing her resources.
Read Also – Colonialism In Africa And The Resounding Issue Of Reparation
