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A socio-political and international analyst, Abdou Balogun has queried the decision by the French government to send African soldiers to Ukraine in support of the war against Russia.
Recall that Russia and Ukraine have since a year ago fired missiles at each other over a disputed region allegedly caused by other international interests.
Since the hostility between the two countries, some Western countries have showed support for Ukraine, but not many have taken the risk of sending their troops to the region.
But news recently emerged that France was working out deal on how to send some African soldiers to the war zone to confront the Russian forces.
This is what Balogun in his article has vehemently kicked against.
In his article titled, “France wants to send Africans soldiers to Ukraine: are African soldiers ready to fight in Ukraine?” questioned why France should take such a decision while countries like the United States that has been at the forefront of the support never did.
He wrote:
“On 24 February 2022, the world was confronted with a new conflict in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine.
“This major escalation provoked strong national and international reactions. Several ideas for negotiations were put forward by the two protagonists to find a peaceful solution, meanwhile Western countries imposed heavy sanctions on Russia.
“During this conflict, several foreign contingents took part as mercenaries in the combat effort, in particular seasoned fighters from NATO countries.
“Several European countries, led by the United States, have refuted the claim that they are sending ground troops to fight alongside Ukraine.
“Despite the colossal amount of financial aid sent to Ukraine, the Elysée Palace is showing its firm stance and declaring: “There is no consensus today to send troops on the ground in an official, assumed and endorsed manner. But in dynamic terms, nothing should be ruled out”, a position that the allied countries have not taken on board.
“Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also indicated that “no soldiers” would be sent to Ukraine.
“At a press conference, the leader reiterated that “what was decided between us from the outset continues to be valid for the future”. Thus, “there will be no troops on the ground, no soldiers sent either by the European States or by the NATO States on Ukrainian soil”, he assured.
“Washington and Paris are currently not on the same wavelength on the issue of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, “has never asked for foreign troops to fight for his country”, a White House spokesman reaffirmed on Tuesday, when asked about Emmanuel Macron’s comments.
“There will be no American troops on the ground in Ukraine. And do you know what? That’s not what President Zelensky is asking for. He’s asking for tools and capabilities. He has never asked for foreign troops to fight for his country “, stated John Kirby, the US National Security Council’s spokesman for strategic communications.
“International opinion is wondering why France has chosen this position, which the other NATO countries do not see fit to adopt.
“As a reminder, in the past a similar situation had already occurred and France had used Senegalese riflemen. Senegalese riflemen were African soldiers recruited from French colonies, including Senegal, to serve in the French army during the Second World War. They played an important role in many battles in Europe, North Africa and Asia.
“Senegalese riflemen were often used as infantry troops and were renowned for their bravery and discipline in combat. Unfortunately, they were often treated unfairly by the French army, receiving lower wages than French soldiers and being subjected to harsh living conditions.
“Those who do not know history are condemned to relive it. Is history repeating itself? Is France counting on African countries?”
