* Calls on Nigeria, African States To Step Up Evacuation Efforts
Frontline pro-democracy think tank, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has joined the rest of the globe in expressing outrage over Russia’s military attacks against Ukraine. In a statement signed by its Director, Idayat Hassan, CDD warned that if the Russian Federation is not compelled to immediately stop its military expedition and made to withdraw from Ukraine, the global security architecture could be seriously undermined, resulting in serious consequences. CDD warned that if Russian aggression in Ukraine is left unchallenged, the steps, which would be taken by other illiberal states dotting the globe is better imagined. According to the CDD helmswoman, President Putin’s decision to spurn all diplomatic overtures to begin a costly, and an unnecessary conflict, must be strongly condemned.
The group said: “Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine is shocking and absolutely unjustified. With many serious challenges like the economic and human toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic inequalities, human rights issues facing the world, it is disturbing that President Putin will abandon bilateral and multilateral diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to Russia’s disagreement with Ukraine, only to resort to an invasion of a sovereign, peaceful and democratic country. This unjustified resort to violence by the Kremlin is unacceptable. Russia is projecting the notion that might is right. The declaration of war has also ripped up the globally accepted rules and norms, which have over the years being adopted in managing relations between states.
“Beyond upsetting the delicate balance in the global order, Russia’s aggression also holds very serious implication for democracy, freedom and human rights. Ukraine is a democracy; the invasion by Russia in many ways undermines democracy by creating the false impression that democracies are weak and incapable of standing up for themselves in times of crisis. As rightly observed during the recent Democracy Summit convened by US President, Joe Biden, authoritarianism and other anti-democratic models of governance have contributed to the loss of faith in the efficacy and effectiveness of democracies. Russia is in several respects promoting the notion that autocratic regimes have more power and better resolve to achieve whatever strategic goal they have in mind. This in some sense therefore amounts to a move to bully, and subsequently de-market a democracy. World leaders must therefore stand with the people of Ukraine and not it to be overawed and humiliated by Russia.”
On what world leaders should do to compel Russia to halt the invasion and withdraw its forces, CDD called for a swift and decisive response to send a clear message to Putin that he is threading on a path, which would lead to his defeat. “This invasion has to be brought to an end quickly, and the sovereignty of Ukraine restored. For that to be achieved, a new phase of sustained pressure is required to make Putin blink and retrace his steps. The raft of economic sanctions, which have been imposed by the United States and its Western allies is a good starting point. However, Russia must be made to feel the pressure so that it can rethink this violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“If left to go on unchallenged, Russia will come away with the impression that its military capability gives it the right to bully and ride roughshod over any of its less powerful neighbours. Russia’s actions amount to an egregious violation of the rights of the people of Ukraine, who have now been put in the path of danger and death on account of bombs, missiles and other deadly weapons being fire at them. The world must collectively stand up to Putin and force him to immediately end this needless war. CDD also calls on Nigeria and fellow African countries to step up evacuation efforts for citizens caught in the conflict. Nigeria particularly has a sizeable number of students in Ukraine. They must not be left alone in this dire situation of conflict.”
