CAIRO — Videos showing ill-treatment and discrimination against African students and nationals fleeing Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion have sparked widespread condemnation by the African Union. AU leaders are currently scrambling to find ways to evacuate the African nationals and ensure their ability to stay in Ukraine's European neighbors until they can return to their countries of origin.

In a Feb. 28 statement, the AU expressed concern for the ill-treatment of Africans fleeing the war, saying, “Africans are subjected to shocking racist treatment that violates international law,” and calling on “all countries to respect international law and show the same empathy and support to all people fleeing war notwithstanding their racial identity.”

Kenya's permanent representative to the UN, Martin Kimani, condemned racist practices against African nationals fleeing the war in Ukraine. Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on March 1 to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Kimani called for legal protection from racial discrimination without holding a particular country responsible.

Despite the abstention of 17 African countries, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Russia to immediately stop its offensive and withdraw its troops.