They Are Now Our Countrymen Again
Permanent Representative of Kenya to the U.N. Martin Kimani, shown final year, delivered a speech criticizing Russian deportment. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption
toggle explanation
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Permanent Representative of Kenya to the U.North. Martin Kimani, shown last yr, delivered a speech criticizing Russian actions.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Russia's move to recognize breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine equally "republics" drew a sharp rebuke from Kenyan U.Due north. Ambassador Martin Kimani, who used a speech at the U.N. Security Council to recount the perils of clinging to vestiges of empire.
Kimani said Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected diplomacy in favor of military force, which has put the international norm of multilateralism "on its deathbed."
He warned Russia to respect its border with Ukraine, using Africa's colonial past to highlight the dangers of stoking the "embers of dead empires."
YouTube
"Rather than form nations that looked ever backward into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forwards to a greatness none of our many nations and peoples had e'er known," Kimani said.
Kimani has deep experience both with Africa's struggles and with the broader history of warfare and conquest. Before his diplomatic mail to the U.N., he was a top official in Kenya's efforts confronting extremism and terrorism. He holds a doctorate in war studies from Male monarch'southward College London, as well equally an undergraduate degree from the Academy of New Hampshire, co-ordinate to the U.Northward.
Hither's a transcript of office of Kimani'due south oral communication where he stressed the importance of moving on:
This situation echoes our history. Kenya and near every African country was birthed by the ending of empire. Our borders were not of our own cartoon. They were drawn in the distant colonial metropoles of London, Paris and Lisbon, with no regard for the aboriginal nations that they cleaved apart.
Today, beyond the edge of every single African country, live our countrymen with whom nosotros share deep historical, cultural and linguistic bonds.
At independence, had we called to pursue states on the basis of ethnic, racial or religious homogeneity, we would still exist waging bloody wars these many decades afterward.
Instead, we agreed that we would settle for the borders that nosotros inherited, but nosotros would notwithstanding pursue continental political, economical and legal integration. Rather than form nations that looked ever astern into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forwards to a greatness none of our many nations and peoples had ever known.
We chose to follow the rules of the Organisation of African Unity and the Un charter, not because our borders satisfied us, but because nosotros wanted something greater, forged in peace.
We believe that all states formed from empires that have collapsed or retreated have many peoples in them yearning for integration with peoples in neighboring states. This is normal and understandable. After all, who does not want to be joined to their brethren and to make mutual purpose with them?
Withal, Republic of kenya rejects such a yearning from existence pursued by force. Nosotros must complete our recovery from the embers of dead empires in a way that does non plunge u.s. back into new forms of domination and oppression.
Nosotros rejected irredentism and expansionism on any basis, including racial, ethnic, religious or cultural factors. We decline it again today.
Kenya registers its strong business concern and opposition to the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as contained states. We farther strongly condemn the trend in the last few decades of powerful states, including members of this Security Council, breaching international police force with little regard.
Multilateralism lies on its deathbed this night. It has been assaulted today as information technology as it has been past other powerful states in the recent past.
We phone call on all members to rally behind the Secretary-General in asking him to rally us all to the standard that defends multilateralism. Nosotros as well phone call on him to bring his practiced offices to comport to help the concerned parties resolve this situation by peaceful ways.
Let me conclude, Mr. President, past reaffirming Kenya'southward respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/22/1082334172/kenya-security-council-russia
0 Response to "They Are Now Our Countrymen Again"
Post a Comment