The Position of the AU and its Member States in the Global Condemnation of the Russia-Ukraine War

Abstract

International crises such as the war in Ukraine bring about significant changes not only in paradigms, but also in alliance systems. The return of war as a means of regulating international relations has greatly aggravated the interests of Western powers and the African continent, which is at the geopolitical forefront of the war in Ukraine. This study aims to identify the position of the African Union (AU) and its member states on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It highlights the AU’s institutional position at the outset of the conflict, before analyzing the positions of its member states, sometimes in contradiction with the principles of the AU and the United Nations (UN), calling for the immediate cessation of the war initiated by Russia. Similarly, the study shows that African countries, in their mixed positions have a more cynical view of a world order whose rules seem to be determined by the West and it is this difference in perspective that may explain the indulgence of some African states towards Russia.