Poland’s actions against South Africans could strengthen China, BRICS

I am instinctively sympathetic to Poland, owing to its history of being ravaged by Russia and Germany, particularly the razing of Warsaw in 1944. But what just happened at Warsaw airport undermines Poland’s claim to a front rank among avowed (Western) champions of democracy and human rights.

A 100-strong delegation of South Africans en route to provide security and support for South African President Ramaphosa in Ukraine were detained and humiliated at Warsaw airport for a day and more.

They included several journalists. Yet, the BBC’s headline (‘Poland denies racism over stranded SA plane’) made it obvious whose side ye auld torchbearers of imperialism were on. Apparently, after not being allowed to land in Italy, the aircraft circled over the Mediterranean six times and then headed for Warsaw.

Saying that those on board had no right to carry arms in Poland, the authorities kept the South Africans cooped up and strip-searched a woman with a diplomatic passport.

Of course, high-ranking Indians have been treated thus at US airports, so perhaps it’s just a Western thing. Slaves were once treated thus in the Americas, but one might have expected Poland to have a different historical memory.

Spurning peace
One fails to understand how Poland thinks that such behaviour will work in favour of Ukraine – or indeed, emergent Central Europe, which Poland seeks to lead. It will alienate not only Africa, which already leans towards China, but more generally the global south.

This mistreatment is particularly galling given that African presidents and prime ministers have taken the initiative to go to Ukraine and Russia to try and negotiate peace. South Africa, of course, plays a leading role among those countries.

This rough riding only sends out the message that the West is not interested in peace – even that they are warmongers, as Russians never tire of saying. Even if a peace move was not welcome, the appropriate response would have been to listen and promise to think about whatever proposals were suggested.

Instead, this behaviour creates the impression that the most crucial frontline supporter of the Ukrainian cause is animated by racist contempt for those whom it sees as being on the other side – or is trying to send a brutal message: we’ll teach you Blacks to pretend to be peacemakers in a White man’s world.

One cannot help being reminded of Warsaw’s callous insensitivity to the West Asian refugees who spent the bitter north European winter of 2019-20 on Poland’s border with Belarus – just weeks before borders, just a little farther south, were thrown open for Polish families to welcome the million-plus Ukrainian refugees into their homes.

Such responses undermine the claim that the West backs Ukraine in pursuit of democratic values, human rights, and the sanctity of sovereignty – as if the parallel between Russia’s current actions and the US’s in Iraq two decades before did not already point to hypocrisy.

Clamour for BRICS membership
If one takes a longer view of the world’s strategic situation, this airport drama will strengthen China – indeed, the BRICS – and conversely, weaken the US’s global role. Perhaps the Poles don’t know that Pretoria holds the chair of BRICS this year, or quite comprehend the fast-evolving importance of BRICS.

A slew of countries have asked to join the grouping, including important strategic players such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Nigeria. Not just that, some countries in Central America – which the US has long treated as its backyard – also wish to join the BRICS.

If BRICS throws open its doors, it could sharply weaken the US, more generally the West, and White dominance – globally, and in the long term.

The most intriguing of those who want to link up with the BRICS is France. Once considered a centrepiece of Western and White dominance, France is said to have very recently asked to be invited –possibly at least as an observer – to the next BRICS summit.

That would put the boot on the other foot. For, until not very long ago, it was countries in the global south that sought observer status at G-7 meets.

BRICS could undermine the dollar
There is much speculation about the BRICS launching a gold-backed trade currency as an alternative to the US dollar. The Saudis and Iran have already begun to trade that key commodity, oil, in Renminbi, Rubles, and other non-dollar currencies.

This is a bigger reason for the US – and its emergent European pivot, Poland – to be worried about BRICS than just the increasing clamour for affiliation with BRICS.

Indeed, the fact that France still holds the gold reserves of several African countries may play a part in persuading BRICS’s founding members to admit it.

India, for one, has a warm relationship with France, bolstered by recent decisions to buy French civilian and armed aircraft. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris as chief guest at France’s National Day celebrations will be keenly watched in this larger strategic context.

Already, one of this year’s most significant diplomatic visits was President Macron’s to Beijing. He took EU President Ursula Von Der Leyen along, apparently to keep up the impression of European unity. But Beijing went out of its way to differentiate between the two; the red carpet was largely reserved for Macron.

The admission of important global players to the BRICS could significantly impede the US’s dominance over global affairs. In the context of the current war, it would work in Russia’s favour.

Already, the US did its global prestige no favours by exiting Afghanistan helter-skelter 21 months ago, and by holding Russia’s dollar assets hostage last year. Both moves undermined the confidence of other countries in the US’s stalwart global role.

While he was President, Donald Trump had already reduced the US’s involvement with international organisations and torn up such generally popular international agreements as the 8-nation Iran deal.

Conversely, Poland is among the few countries that strongly back such groups as the US-affiliated White Helmet mercenaries in Syria.
As it happens, Adam Burakowski, who served brilliantly as Poland’s ambassador in New Delhi, is now his country’s ambassador in South Africa.

One hopes that this exceptionally dynamic and responsive diplomat will find a way to resolve the angst generated by the sad situation on the tarmac of Warsaw airport.

David Devadas is a journalist and security, politics and geopolitics analyst
Disclaimer: Views expressed above are the author’s own

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