The war’ s images from Ukraine are chilling: heavily bombed buildings in Kiev, Kharkiv and other major cities; Russian tanks ripping through the Ukrainian countrysides; thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the country; the war has shaken the world since the beginning of the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin on the 24 of February 2022.
With this in mind, the ITUC-Africa joins the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and its affiliates around the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to call for an end to this unjust war.
The African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), through their General Secretary, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, on the Day of Action in Solidarity with Ukraine, marked on the 15th of March 2022, vehemently denounced and condemned the use of force in international relations and called on Russia to stop its aggression and military offensive against Ukraine and its people.
In addition, it called on world leaders to step up their efforts not only to resolve, through dialogue, the disputes that led to the Russian invasion, but also to secure peace.
In his statement to this effect, the General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, commended the phenomenal support shown for the victims of war and refugees arising from this tragic conflict.
" But we also condemn the widely reported incidents of racism and discriminatory treatment against Africans and other non-Europeans, including students, who have been fleeing the war," he said.
The General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Comrade Kwasi Adu-Amankwah dwelt extensively on these incidents of racism that have taken place, indicating that they should not be associated in any way with the Global Solidarity, especially when it comes to the working class.
According to him, the strengthening of the solidarity of the global working class is essential if we are to address the challenges of peace and development that the majority of the world’s population is facing as they are struggling to recover from the aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic, the excesses of a failed model of globalization, the disasters caused by climate change, as well as wars and internal conflicts.
"It is high time to step up the demand for a new social contract based on global security and shared prosperity, and to reject any form of return to nationalism and a cold war characterized by strategic competition between imperialist forces," he added.
It is high time to rethink the effectiveness of multilateralism as a necessary foundation and framework for global security, peace, prosperity and sustainability.
