Russian invasion of Ukraine is a needless war indeed

In any war, it is the children, the elderly and women who suffer the most as they cannot defend themselves. Innocent children and helpless older people end up being killed in crossfire. Their deaths don’t achieve anything in the war. And they have got nothing to do with the causes of the war. Families are separated.

Families lose their sons and daughters as they go to the frontline to fight for their nation. Young children often are left without fathers. And young women are widowed. War leaves so much pain that is felt for generations.

The talk of the world at the moment is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The former sees it as a fundamental right to protect itself from the latter which has been becoming too close with Europe and America. But, this can never be enough justification to invade it given the fact that it is a sovereign state.

Hence, the actions of Russian end up being an unwarranted aggression and a crime -- an attack on an independent nation that has chosen its friends, who are not necessarily its neighbour’s allies.

The United Nations is a toothless dog in this war as apart from the Secretary-General making condemnation, there is nothing it can do. Russia has already vetoed any decision that would stop the war. It is a lesson to mankind that the nations with veto powers can always abuse them for their own interests.

European nations seem to have united against Russia. Some are sending support to Ukraine. America has decided not to send any soldier to fight for Ukraine. But it is leading international sanctions against Russia to cripple its trade and international engagements.

Many nations across the world have expressed support for either side. In Africa, Kenya has called off the Russian aggression. Uganda’s son of President Yoweri Museveni, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the commander of the land forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Force, has openly supported Russia’s aggression.

China, a superpower, has cautiously expressed its support to Russia but has increased trade with Russia in a bid to offset sanctions imposed by the West. It is indeed a very interesting time as we see new alignments of nations across the globe.

Then as children of the world, we have a real fear of a nuclear war. Russia is on great alert and has threatened it can use its nuclear power in this war. This would have devastating effects on the whole world. It can step up the possibility of the Third World War. It could kill millions and millions in and out of Ukraine. Its full effects are difficult to fathom. May God forbid!

Our latest recollection of war in Tanzania was when Idi Amin Dada attacked our motherland. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere decided to go after the rogue Ugandan president. We won the battle, and managed to oust the Ugandan dictator. But the economic effects (negative) are still felt even today--four decades later.

Airports in Ukraine and most vital installations have been bombed. I don’t know how the war will end. But reconstruction will take time and the economic impact of the war will affect generations.

For Russia, even if it defeated Ukraine, the quest for friendship between the two neighbours is lost. It will always now be a geopolitical war, and the citizens of Ukraine for generations and generations will never forget how Russia bombed them. War leaves permanent scars that do not heal.

Who is right or wrong? Ukraine? Russia? Who will win? Does it matter? What counts is the significant loss of human life and properties.

If only Russia and Ukraine had chosen the path of peace and dialgoue there was no need for this armed conflict in the first place.

The lives lost cannot be resurrected. The war should stop immediately!