Johannesburg, March 2, 2022: Media coverage of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has included reports of verbal abuse and ill-treatment of African students, scholars, and families. In response to these reports, Greenpeace Africa’s Global Racial Justice Lead, Awa Traoré said:
“Greenpeace Africa is deeply alarmed by the military conflict in Ukraine. While humanity calls for an end to the conflict, we should not forget to condemn the racism that accompanies it. On top of the climate crisis, a biodiversity crisis, exploitative economic systems, and war, we should not have to deal with racism, and we call upon human rights organisations including the United Nations to condemn these acts of racism in the strongest terms.
“Greenpeace Africa calls upon African Leaders, the President of the African Union, and regional bodies across the continent to take courageous action in order to protect their people. Efforts to bring Africans home from Ukraine must be escalated for their safety. The African families and students blocked due to racial segregation must be supported. They deserve the same respectful and urgent treatment in their evacuation as any citizen from the Global North.”Racism is the worst part of the legacy of colonialism, and it must be dismantled. It is high time that African people, leaders, and advocates for social justice restore racial justice in a growingly dehumanizing world.”
ENDS
Contact detailsGreenpeace Africa Press Desk: [email protected]