Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, briefs the media at UN Headquarters in New York. (Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak)

By   Gary  Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS   –   NEW  YORK  –   The war in Ukraine has the potential to cause economic and social devastation to many vulnerable developing nations  amid the soaring global food and energy prices.  Africa, in particular,  is already suffering from on-going ethnic violence, extremist attacks, and a string of coups and coup attempts.  During the past 20 months, there have been seven coups and coup attempts in African nations. In Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan, military leaders succeeded in seizing power; in Niger and, most recently, in Guinea-Bissau, they failed. There is a revival of the Cold War in Africa with Russia gaining influence and support in Mali, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Mauritania  Niger, Mozambique and Angola at the expense of France and other western powers.  Russian has also reportedly provided military assistance to multiple African nations including soldiers via the “Wagner Group”.  

A UN policy brief released Wednesday called on the international financial system and the more wealthier nations to help lend to vulnerable developing nations. But what if nations like France attempt to discourage the IMF or the World Bank lending financial resources to African nations it has disputes with. France could  also decide they may not want to lend funds to say Mali in retaliation for the military junta’s anti-French sentiment and its support of Russia. France reportedly strongly backed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decision in January to impose crippling economic and diplomatic sanctions on Mali after the country’s ruling military government delayed elections by five years. Such  action could encourage other western nations with political differences with African countries over the Russia-Ukraine war to attach conditions to financial assistance such as political reform or holding elections.

The President of the UN General Assembly told Diplomatic Times Wednesday that war in Ukraine should not be politicized.

“War should not be politicized. The UN Charter in Articles 1 and 2 very clearly defines as to how Member States need to conduct their relations with each other. Right now all efforts must be focused on securing an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Towards that extent, all assistance that could be lent by any or all Member States is welcome.”

-Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly