Categories
News

Kenyan UN Ambassador Martin Kimani in UN Security Council cites colonial past in Africa when criticised Russia’s recognition of separatist-held areas of Ukraine 22 February 2022

Kimani delivered a speech to the UN Security Council on 22 February 2022 drew comparisons between the borders of Europe and those of Africa

“This situation echoes our history. Kenya and almost every African country was birthed by the ending of empire. Our borders were not of our own drawing (…). Today, across the border of every single African country, live our countrymen with whom we share deep (…) bonds. At independence, had we chosen to pursue states at the basis of ethnic, racial or religious homogeneity, we would still be waging bloody wars these many decades later. Instead, we agreed that we would settle on the borders that we inherited (…), rather than form nations that looked ever backward into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forward (…). We believe that all states formed from empires that have collapsed or retreated, have many peoples in them yearning for integration with peoples in neighbouring states. This is normal and understandable. (…) However, Kenya rejects such a yearning from being pursued by force (…). We rejected irredentism and expansionism on any basis (…), we reject it again today.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Kimani#cite_note-16