By now, most readers of this newspaper will be familiar with the Russian Ambassador to Kenya’s intermittent forays into creative economic and historical interpretations. The latest example appeared in this paper on September 16. Lest we forget where this diatribe began: it started with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
Most readers will be tired of the back and forth in various opinion pieces on the Russian invasion. What matters most to Kenyans of course is the cost of living crisis that Russia’s invasion has caused; the effects of Russia’s destruction of Ukrainian agricultural production and its theft and hoarding of Ukrainian grain, both evidenced by satellite imagery; and its selective and restrictive sale of fertiliser to some countries.
Kenyans will be concerned about the impact these Russian policies have had on global and domestic food prices, to which the only real solution is Russian withdrawal from its sovereign neighbour Ukraine, and release of the grain and fertiliser it is hoarding.
In a week in which Ukrainian forces have pushed back poorly motivated Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, only to discover evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Ukrainian civilians in the liberated areas, it stands to reason that we should once more seek to refute the Russian Ambassador’s false claims, in the interests of greater objectivity.
Several European countries’ colonial past and the wrongdoings that are associated with it are well documented. It’s a blight on the history of some European countries which we neither can, nor wish to brush aside, not least because this past is still very much in the awareness of many people across the African continent.
We, for one, acknowledge several European countries’ past crimes, because we, unlike today’s Russia, adhere to democratic and pluralist values underpinned by a commitment to the factual truth.
Unfortunately, we cannot change history. We can only aim to build towards a brighter future – this precisely is the purpose of the shared African and European undertakings made at the AU-EU Summit in Lusaka this February, and on many occasions before.
It stands to reason also that we should point out that European countries, along with other like-minded partners since independence, have been the biggest financial and material contributors to development in Kenya and the wider continent over the past half a century.
These collective European efforts over the past 60 years have decisively contributed to Africa’s development and that commitment continues to this day. European countries have also put in place preferential trade arrangements with African countries to support their sovereign development.
The European Union has been the embodiment of Europe’s democratic and pluralist unity for the past 60 years and more. This includes unity in the face of Soviet Russian occupation and oppression, and determination in the face of Russia’s historic harassment – talk to some of our Member States – as well as common responses to recent Russian interference and attempts to influence and undermine democratic processes and economic and social progress – talk to most European and many African countries.
It also stands to reason to point out that most of the EU’s 27 Member States have never engaged in colonialism, and in many cases gained their independence and political freedom some 30 years after most African countries; today many of these countries, with no history of colonialism, are contributing to the ties with Kenya and to its economic and social development.
And many of these countries joined the NATO defensive pact – which has never had any link to colonialism - in order to make sure they are never oppressed by Russia again. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has only vindicated that choice. Other countries that tried to emphasise their non-alignment towards Russia by staying out of NATO, such as Sweden and Finland, have now seen a need to increase their defensive posture towards Russia by joining NATO.
We know, of course, that all this does not help Kenyans. You cannot eat sovereignty, freedom, democracy and pluralism. This is why the EU has been making strong efforts to support Kenyans and other countries in the crisis. It is supporting partners to mitigate the negative consequences of the war, in the areas of food, energy and the economy.
The EU has consistently ranked as the first global provider of development aid for decades and the war has not made us lose focus on the global challenges. We listen to partners’ concerns and are committed to deliver on our partners’ expectations.
The same cannot be said of today’s Russia and its dictator.
EU Ambassador to Kenya