- Russian Foreign Minister Insists
- We cannot turn a blind eye to continuing neocolonial practices
- Resolution 1514xv is a historically meaningful document
- We must preserve historical truth about colonial times
In a July 2020 video-conference with his South African, Egyptian, and the Democratic Republic of Congo counter-parts; respectively the former, current, and next presidents of the African Union, Russian Foreign Minister Seigey Lavrov declared that “Decolonization in Africa cannot be declared Complete.” He insisted on the need to preserve historical truths about colonial times, and that it is unacceptable to turn a blind eye to continuing neocolonial practices in Africa.
This declaration is coming in the context of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 1514xv on December 14th 1960. The resolution unequivocally provided for the ‘Granting of Independence to ALL Colonial Countries and Peoples.’ Declaring the resolution as a “historically meaningful document that played a critical role in breaking down the world colonialist system”, Mr. Lavrov revealed that the Soviet Union played the lead role in adopting resolution 1514xv.
The veteran diplomat chastised the former colonial powers for ignoring their responsibilities in the problems bedeviling contemporary Africa; insisting that, “it is unacceptable to turn a blind eye to the neocolonial practices that continue in Africa.” The group of Foreign Ministers agreed that the UN played a decisive role in the upcoming process of decolonization and preventing territorial expansionism; asserting that, the UN itself appeared as a result of defeating Nazism. In a veil attack at Britain and France, Mr. Lavrov alleged that “the countries that try to rewrite the history of World War II try, at the same time, to forget the consequences of the colonial past on the African continent.”
Citing places like the Chagos Archipelago (Mauritius), Mayotte (Comoros), and islands off the coast of Madagascar, he insisted that existing UN General Assembly resolutions and the International Court of Justice rulings should be implemented; and the territories transferred under the sovereignty of Mauritius, Comoros and Madagascar respectively. According to him, decolonization cannot be declared complete and promised to enlarge consultations with Africa countries and other partners so that the issue can be raised at the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonization.
It suffice mentioning that, with respect to the unfolding Anglophone Crisis, and in allusion to Southern Cameroons and resolution 1608xv, the Russian representative at the UN Security Council, Mr. Vasily Nebenzya, declared on June 12th 2020 that; “We have been following the situation in Cameroon. This issue of Anglophone provinces didn’t arise yesterday. It has deep historical roots. A solution can be found only at the negotiating table.”
Kennedy Abang