The right to legitimacy
Russia has proven once again the ineffectiveness of the UN, the importance & utility of power and the limitations of diplomacy & sophistry.
As someone who wishes to be free from colonial border trappings, I can only look on with jealousy as four new nations will be formed tomorrow and their desire to join their brothers in a federation fulfilled. The road was long but the recurring myths of eternal unchanging borders have once again been broken but with more fundamental implications for this decade because it was done by an entity not recognised as a part of “The West”.
Where is the UN?
In the series of escalations from before the war broke out till now, the United Nations (UN) as with other instances over the years has been missing in action. The UN is a tool to maintain the 1945 status quo built upon the 500+ years of colonial, plunder and genocide of the world by western Europe. It is a toothless dog that when faced with a real crisis has proven repeatedly its incapacity to resolve any conflict or fashion a pathway towards a peaceful harmonious future as with Libya, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Rather, it has continuously acted as a manager of crisis and ensure the perpetuation of the chaos with the complete backing of the international aid infrastructure.
What constitutes a legitimate referendum?
Much has been said concerning the legitimacy of the referenda conducted by Russia in the four republics of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Setting aside the international dimension for the moment, the need and reality of these referenda as well as their legitimacy exist between 3 parties directly involved namely Ukraine, Russian and the four republics. But ultimately their legitimacy is decided by the people within the four republics whose lives are affected and have decided to choose their fate. As much as we may try, the kinship between them and Russian cannot be glossed over also is the fact that they are unable to become Ukrainian due to current realities which are an evolution of their experiences within Ukraine which include a ban on the Russian language and the Donbas war (2014-2022).
The “International Community” and the UN have resolved that the referenda are illegitimate and the regions remain a part of Ukraine. This brings up the question of how the fate of indigenous people is trapped within the cage of democracy, UN and international consensus. It is a ludicrous notion that nations a world away are expected to understand the nuances of the reality within a space and decide on the validity of the expression of the will of the people there regards their fate. Without the express authorisation of these nations, one is expected to continue existing with whatever fate one suffers without the hope of liberation.
The world was not always like this. The people within a space and their neighbours have always decided on their fate. The colonial desires of the west changed and perpetuates this new reality where your fate lies in a decision made somewhere in the west. This neo-colonial reality is unsustainable and has to inevitably come to an end sooner rather than later.
In the end, the desires of a people and their fate rest on their shoulders. If not, what truly is the democracy we speak of? It continues to be proven that democracy, as practised today, is a means to strip indigenous people of their sovereignty and subject them to the whims of others who in certain situations are their nemesis throughout the depths of history.
In a democracy, if indigenous people cannot determine themselves and choose a path they desire while they progress towards destruction then such a democracy is irrelevant. If the UN, the international community and the series of universal declarations cannot institute a path towards the need for freedom, sovereignty and self-determination of indigenous people & nations across the world especially in Africa, such instances as the Tigray war (2020-present), Donbas war (2014-2022) and those much worse will occur as groups are left with no other means than to take their freedom with their hands and self-determine themselves. We have learnt once again from recent happenings what it takes to be free and regain one’s stolen sovereignty though the cost may be high, nevertheless, it’s becoming easier to pay by the day as the alternative is not much better especially in the face of annihilation in some cases.
The 138 years of pain
I am Yorùbá. A nation of people the world knows and loves. Today the world moves to our tunes and aspects of our language are gradually becoming a mainstay on people’s tongues as phrases of expression. But still, we suffer from a pain bestowed upon us by Europe rooted in our 5+ centuries of interactions of which I will focus on the crime carried out 138 years ago in Berlin, Germany.
In 1884, a group of nations met in Berlin and demarcated Africa by drawing lines on a map without any recognition given to the realities on the ground. Not only was the sovereignty of our nation and others stolen, but also, our people, relations and lands were divided across 3 border lines ending up in separate colonies in West Africa. These colonies became different states (Nigeria, Benin and Togo) during the era of African independence but our pain persists without resolution.
The sovereignty stolen is yet to return. Our families separated by the Berlin-drawn lines continues to be deprived of their familiar bond and like any other group on this planet, we yarn for the day to have our people back together with our sovereignty restored. There is a yearning for a sovereign homeland by our people who exist beyond West Africa including in the new world.
I understand this is difficult for those who are absorbed in the post-1884, post-colonial and post-1945 realities to understand but the yearnings of our hearts still hold a strong desire to put a finality to this pain, bring our people back together under one sovereign nation (homeland) for the Yorùbá and connect with our siblings in the diaspora because we’re Bigger Than Africa.
The recurring lesson
In a democracy, if indigenous people cannot determine themselves and choose a path they desire while they progress towards destruction then such a democracy is irrelevant. If the UN, the international community and the series of universal declarations cannot institute a path towards the need for freedom, sovereignty and self-determination of indigenous people & nations across the world especially in Africa, such instances as the Tigray war (2020-present), Donbas war (2014-2022) and those much worse will occur as groups are left with no other means than to take their freedom with their hands and self-determine themselves. We have learnt once again from recent happenings what it takes to be free and regain one’s stolen sovereignty though the cost may be high, nevertheless, it’s becoming easier to pay by the day as the alternative is not much better especially in the face of annihilation in some cases.
Russia has proven once again the ineffectiveness of the UN, the importance & utility of power (possessing it in its many forms) and the limitations of diplomacy (which requires compromise on both ends) & sophistry (motion in spirit without moving an inch towards the goal). Those groups that understand this know you can always earn riches or simply take them as long as you exist, but if you miss the opportunity to build power, you may never regain it and on this, indigenous people are criminally negligent as it seems we've chosen to walk towards oblivion with smiles on our faces.
Legitimacy comes from force and the capacity to defend yourself against the whims & excesses of others, not from international law, ancestral right or otherwise. Without the force to defend itself and keep others at bay, Russia by this date in the war would have been decapitated and its resources taken to fuel the growth and leisure of the west.
As with our historic interaction with the powers that be, we’re awake and learning across the lengths & breaths of Africa.