Year: 2022

More than a million people have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia’s invasion.

Thousands of Africans were part of the exodus, scrambling to get over borders to neighbouring countries.

Governments from South Africa to Democratic Republic of the Congo are working to help their citizens out, some dispatching diplomats to Ukraine’s borders to aid students.

These young Tunisians were among the first group of students evacuated to Tunis. Relief swept over families once their children made it home.

“There were many difficulties, it was a complicated adventure. It is a war situation with exceptional conditions. It is a disaster. We lived a real nightmare,” a student told a journalist.

“I am very happy because my son returned. I am also happy for the others. We hope that all our children will make it back.,” a parent said.

Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian capital Kiyv and second city Kharkiv, which have so far resisted. They have captured the southern port city of Kherson.

Meanwhile, Africans were airlifted from neighbouring Poland, Romania and Hungary, where people fled the conflict.

Ghana’s foreign minister Shirley Botchwey received home repatriated students.

“Evacuation options were limited as Ukraine closed its airspace at the start of the military operations. This left, as the only viable option, evacuation by land to neighbouring countries,” said Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister for foreign affairs and regional integration.

Around 16,000 Africans study at universities in Ukraine.

Some have denounced racist treatment by soldiers and border officials who gave preference to whites.

“I can tell you, the soldiers who are there, and the other security agents, they tell you: +”you are going to stay here, you are fleeing the war, stay here, you are going to fight with us, you are not going to leave, especially you black people”. These are the stories that are being told, and no, you can’t hide them,” a student said.

Some people have been waiting at borders for days, enduring temperatures as low as -10° Celsius.

African governments have called for better treatment of their citizens.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that Africans are friends and need to have equal opportunities to return home.

Families of Nigerian students studying in Ukraine protested Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Families of students, who gathered in front of the Russian Embassy in Abuja and held anti-war banners, chanted slogans against Russia.

Barikisu Ahmad, who participated in the protest, told Africa News Guru correspondent that he had not heard from his daughter for a while and that he was worried about this.

This comes a few days after the Nigerian government has expressed disappointment at ongoing reports of maltreatment of some Nigerian nationals attempting to flee Ukraine.

Explaining that his daughter won a scholarship to study medicine in Ukraine, Ahmad said, “I just learned on TV that there is a war in Ukraine and I am trying to reach my daughter, but her phone is off. Right now I can neither eat nor sleep.” said.

Ahmad expressed that Russia wants to stop this war and people to live in peace.

Blessing Keri, who stated that her sister was studying in Ukraine, said that they wanted Russia and Ukraine to establish a dialogue and to ensure peace. Keri said, “We have children studying there. Let our children study for peace.” she used the phrases.

Ufot Etukapra, on the other hand, pointed out that the war between Russia and Ukraine is worrying, and expressed that both sides should give peace a chance. Etukapra said, “Children are the victims of what happened in Ukraine. Children have the right to return to their normal lives, and the peace between Russia and Ukraine will show this.” said.

Etukapra also called on the Nigerian government to urgently support Nigerian students in Ukraine.

Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian tourists have been stranded in the Zanzibar archipelago since Ukraine closed its airspace due to the Russian invasion, the Tanzanian semi-autonomous archipelago’s tourism minister, Lela Mohammed Mussa, said on Monday.

“The first thing we did was to ensure that they stay where they are, even if it was time for them to leave,” Lela Mohammed Mussa said. “We allow them to stay in the hotels and be served as human beings,” she added, assuring that they “will receive all the services, comfort and remain free”.

The hundreds of tourists are unable to return to their country, which closed its airspace to civilian flights on Thursday, citing a “high-security risk” after Russian forces invaded its territory. Plans are underway to evacuate the tourists to countries such as Poland, Lela Mohammed Mussa added.

“What is happening in Ukraine makes them extremely unhappy,” said Yulia Baystrukova, a Russian who runs the Zanzi Resort, one of the hotels where Ukrainians are trapped. Famous for its turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and spice plantations, Zanzibar relies heavily on tourism and used to welcome about half a million visitors a year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The United Nations has announced the allocation of $20 million to meet immediate humanitarian needs in Ukraine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his plea for Russia to halt its military operations against Ukraine.

“Stop the military operation. Bring the troops back to Russia,” the UN chief said while speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.

Despite efforts by the international community to avert military action in Ukraine, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin did just that – triggering a barrage of reactions, beginning with the UN secretary-general, condemning the move and appealing for peace.

“All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” he said, quoting the Charter.

President Putin had said the assault is meant to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting the government for nearly eight years.

He said that UN staff are working on “both sides of the contact line,” providing life-saving humanitarian relief to people in need, “regardless of who or where they are”.

The UN chief restated that international humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld, noting that the decisions of the coming days “will shape our world and directly affect the lives of millions upon millions of people”.

Prior to the media briefing, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had issued a statement on the military attack.

Egypt, which welcomes hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians to its Red Sea hotels each year, said Thursday it would guarantee the stay of tourists from the two now-warring countries until their “safe return.

On the same day that Vladimir Putin’s Russian army launched a massive air and ground attack on Ukraine, Egyptian tourism officials met, according to a tourism ministry statement.

They decided that “tourists from countries where air traffic is disrupted will be allowed to stay in the hotels where they are staying in Egypt until they can safely return home”.