CAPE TOWN - Ghana has become the first African country to evacuate its citizens fleeing the conflict in Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
On Tuesday, the first group of Ghanaian students who fled the eastern European country arrived in Ghana.
According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Ghana is the first African country to successfully evacuate its citizens to their home country.
First batch of Ghanaian students in Ukraine arrives in Ghana.#RussiaUkraineWar #AfricansinUkraine. According to the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, Ghana is the first African country to successfully evacuate their citizens to the home country. pic.twitter.com/Efl2U5qHle
— Kotoko Lady (@gemmaappiah) March 1, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russian artillery attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv amounted to state terrorism and called on the international community to recognise it as such, international media reported.
"The terror aims to break us, to break our resistance," he said in a video address shared on social media, describing Kyiv and Kharkiv as Russia's main targets.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday in what it deemed a “military operation”.
The Nigerian government has condemned the treatment of thousands of its students and citizens fleeing the war amid growing concerns that they are facing discrimination by security officials and being denied entry into Poland, The Guardian reported on Monday.
South Africa’s International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor said she was shocked by revelations that African students fleeing the war in Ukraine were being subjected to racism when attempting to cross the border.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong and Deputy Minister of Information, Fatima Abubakari lead government delegation to welcome first batch of Ghanaian students from Ukraine.#GTVBreakfast pic.twitter.com/OTxeBM5aEm
The AU said on Monday that it was disturbed by reports that African citizens in Ukraine were being refused the right to cross borders to safety.
Thousands of African and other foreign nationals, particularly students, have been scrambling to escape Ukraine due to the invasion.
Related Video:
IOL