Representatives from the three African nations on the UN Security Council — Kenya, Ghana, and Gabon — all condemned reports of discrimination against African citizens at the Ukrainian border during a meeting at the UN HQ in New York City Monday.
There have been widespread reports from African students fleeing the country that they faced segregation, racism and abuse.
“In the unfolding emergency, there have been disturbing reports about the racist treatment of Africans and people of African descent seeking to flee Ukraine to safety. The media is covering these appalling incidents and several states have confirmed that their citizens are suffering such treatment. We strongly condemn this racism and believe that it is damaging to the spirit of solidarity that is so urgently needed today.
“The mistreatment of African peoples on Europe’s borders needs to cease immediately, whether to the Africans fleeing Ukraine or to those crossing the Mediterranean,” Kenyan Ambassador to the UN Martin Kimani said Monday.
The African Union has said it is “disturbed” by the reports of segregation against Africans in Ukraine, which it described as “shockingly racist.”