The African Union (AU) is today (February 28) calling for greater empathy for all people, regardless of their skin colour, as reports emerge of differential treatment of black students and families amid the deteriorating Ukraine crisis.

The AU, from its headquarters in Addis Ababa, issued a statement on Monday decrying numerous reports from South African, Nigerian, Ugandan and Ghanaian students and general citizens who say they are being denied entry at the Ukraine-Poland border on the basis of their ethnicity.

The statement, citing sitting AU chairman President Macky Sall as well as African Union Commission’s Moussa Faki Mahamat, found the reports, if true, ‘particularly disturbing’.

Rt. Let it reach our government pic.twitter.com/IN58xowS3p

— JJ (@59Pixelss) February 27, 2022

“Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach of international law,” the African Union argued.

In the meantime, the continental political bloc commended efforts by AU member countries and their respective embassies in neighbouring countries for trying their best to “receive and orientate African citizens and their families trying to cross the border from Ukraine to safety”.

“The two chairpersons recall that people have a right to cross international borders during conflict, and, as such, should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity,” the AU continued.

The Africans also allege that amid the shortage of basic commodities in Ukraine, including bottled water and fresh food, their skin colour seems to ‘disqualify’ them from service and human decency.

Actions that might be interpreted by some as racial also befell the group of stranded Jamaican students, who had to disembark from a bus and walk more than 12 kilometres after outraged Ukrainians took issue with their arrangements. It is not clear, however, if the matter was motivated by their skin colour or connected to traffic stalls, but a similar issue was also documented by Ugandan students.

Heartbreaking videos of officials seemingly barring black students from boarding trains to Poland have also gone viral on Twitter and other social media platforms, triggering backlash and disappointment that, despite the worsening war, racism still succeeds in rearing its ugly head in crises.

Of note is the inadequate response from Ukrainian authorities in ensuring all foreign nationals are let through.

In one video, a Caucasian man speaking Ukrainian can be seen being aggressive towards a travelling group of Ugandan students at the Romanian border before threatening to confiscate a phone on realising he was being recorded.

We have reached the actual border experiencing some threats of violence from some local Ukrainians who don’t believe we should enter. This man keeps circling our car pic.twitter.com/kWw5DjkcL0

— Koko 🇺🇦 (@korrinesky) February 28, 2022

Responding to the callous state of affairs, some Africans have banded together and are offering accommodation in Slovakia, Romania and other nearby Western European countries.

The situation, at this time, is unfortunately far from ideal as the Russian invasion continues and Africans are increasingly being told they are essentially ‘on their own’.

See statement in full below:

“The current chair of the African Union and President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, and chairperson for the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, are following closely the developments in Ukraine and are particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety.

The two chairpersons recall that people have a right to cross international borders during conflict, and, as such, should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity.

Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach of international law. In this regard, the chairpersons urge all countries to respect international law and show the same empathy and support to all people fleeing war notwithstanding their racial identity.

The chairpersons commend efforts by African Union member state countries and their embassies in neighbouring countries to receive and orientate African citizens and their families trying to cross the border from Ukraine to safety.”