In this lightly edited extract from 'Towards Palestinian Liberation: Global Perspectives on Anti-Colonial Resistance and Solidarity', Kribsoo Diallo traces that relationship from the 1940s to Israel's war on Gaza, examining how African governments, movements and civil society have responded to the Palestinian struggle. Situating contemporary solidarity within the broader history of African liberation and Third World internationalism, Diallo considers the political, historical and ideological forces shaping African perspectives on Israel's assault on Gaza, while highlighting the enduring connections between struggles for freedom across the Global South.
African attitudes to and solidarity with Palestine from the 1940s to Israel's genocide in Gaza in support of the Palestinians have been articulated by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. On 11 December 2023, South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance, while offering to draw on its historical experience to mediate between the parties.
Then-minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor further called on South African trade union movements to boycott products associated with the Israeli occupation. On 14 October 2023, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, spokesperson for the ANC, expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and denounced the Israeli army's calls for 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza. He emphasised that "the Palestinians live under the occupation of an apartheid state".
On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for breaches of the Genocide Convention. The application to the court presents evidence of Israel's genocidal acts and its intent to commit genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
In its order of 26 January 2024 and subsequent orders of 28 March and 24 May 2024, the ICJ issued provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza from breaches of the Genocide Convention.
Namibia's condemnation of Israel's genocide in Gaza was as resolute as South Africa's. On 24 January 2024, in a statement posted on the platform X (formerly Twitter), then-president Hage Geingob criticised the German government for supporting Israel in the case before the ICJ. Geingob remarked that Germany, of all nations, should have learnt from its own genocidal history and he argued that Germany could not uphold its commitment to the Genocide Convention — including atonement for its genocide in Namibia — while supporting Israel's actions in Gaza, which he equated to the Nazi Holocaust and to genocide.
The Republic of Zimbabwe also condemned the Israeli war of aggression and demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities, describing the Israeli action of cutting off water and electricity in Gaza as a "war crime".
The veterans minister and spokesperson for the political bureau of ruling party Zanu–PF, Christopher Mutsvangwa, highlighted during a press conference in Harare that two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were under constant bombardment by Israel, using aircraft supplied by Western powers.
He stated: "As allies of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) since the struggle for liberation, we affirm our support for the Palestinian people and condemn Israel for not committing to the two-state solution, violating the agreements and allowing Israeli settlers to continue seizing more lands with the aim of leaving nothing for the Palestinians. Now, if [Israel] wants to forcibly displace them again to Egypt or perhaps push them into the sea."
During the same period, several African countries, most prominently Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, expressed their unconditional support for Israel.
Kenyan President William Ruto issued a strongly worded statement condemning Hamas attacks on Israel and urging the international community to take action against the perpetrators, organisers, financiers, sponsors and supporters of what he described as "criminal terrorist acts".
Ghana, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, took a similar stance, abstaining on two draft resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza: one Russian and the other Brazilian.
Similarly, statements in support of the occupation came from the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Cameroon. The governments condemned resistance operations against the Israeli occupation. They were likely motivated by considerations related to security and their economies: these countries have significant projects with Israel in fields such as security, agriculture, infrastructure, technology and armaments.
Between the two poles, the events since 7 October have also revealed what can be called a "hesitant" bloc, which seeks to maintain an unbiased stance due to its intertwined interests with Israel and Arab countries. The bloc includes nations that have commonly advocated for the adoption of a two-state solution to the Palestine situation, based on the pre-June 1967 borders.
Foremost among these countries are Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau and Ethiopia. However, it is notable that Ethiopia, despite its long and strong historical association with Israel, has not expressed a definitive position on the events since 7 October.
In regard to popular solidarity with Palestine, public support for the Palestinian cause remains strong across Africa, often surpassing — and contradicting — official reactions.
Despite a decline over the years in pro-Palestinian activism and in the number of Palestinians present in many African countries, large segments of the population view support for the Palestinian people and their cause as part of collective African values, including the rejection of occupation and exploitation. This support is especially evident in Muslim-majority countries, such as Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania.
Since 7 October, explicit solidarity with Palestine and rejection of Israel's genocide in Gaza have been demonstrated in numerous popular protests in many African countries, including Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria. Protests have also been held in front of Western embassies across Africa. All this counters the Western media's portrayal of African public opinion as divided on Palestine.
In Kenya, Ruto's stance was quickly criticised by voices in solidarity with Palestine, who argued that it contradicted the Kenyan constitution as he had not consulted the Kenyan people.
Booker Omole, the vice-chairperson of the Communist Party of Kenya, likened Israel's occupation to Britain's historic colonisation of Kenya, while Raila Odinga, the leader of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, condemned Ruto's stance, stating: "We must condemn in the strongest terms possible the brutality with which innocent children and women of Palestine are being brutalised by the regime of Mr Netanyahu."
In March and April 2024, the opposition in Nigeria organised candlelight vigils in solidarity with Palestinian martyrs, while in January 2024 some political movements in Senegal called for a massive donation campaign to support the residents of Gaza and to alleviate their suffering. They demanded the immediate cessation of Israeli aggression on Gaza and the permanent opening of crossings for humanitarian aid.
In South Africa, as early as 23 October 2023, Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters organised protests across various regions and held a sit-in front of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
As can be inferred from the foregoing, anti-colonial sentiment remains prevalent in the African consciousness. Israel's genocide in Gaza has coincided with growing popular rejection of the French presence in the Sahel countries. In the light of French support for the Zionist Israeli regime, many African countries and their peoples view Palestinian goals as aligned with their own.
Towards Palestinian Liberation: Global Perspectives on Anti-Colonial Resistance & Solidarity is published by Daraja Press.