Les séquelles infinies de l'Ukraine

UKRAINE: The infinite aftermath

By: Saly Toure

PRECEDENTS AND POSSIBLE OUTCOME OF THIS MODERN GREAT GAME

Starting in January, the rise of Ukrainian rebels against president Ianukovitch’s oligarchic regime seems to have reached a climax in the last weeks. Ever since, appaling scenes of an embattled Maidan Square have been emerging from Kiev revealing the capital in a black smoke billow where hordes of riot police are on the streets shooting at close range their own compatriots. As the turmoil is now gradually sliding towards a civil war, we are left to wonder what has triggered such a tug-of-war and what is next to be expected.

Ukraine’s unrest has not blossomed overnight and can be traced back to the Orange Revolution in 2004. Its polemical remains and the clemency shown towards the ousted government in spite of its unfairness planted a fertile soil for conflict. Today’s unsteadiness appears as a direct result of issues left unsolved after the precedent uprising, among which wealth repartition and biased authorities. In fact, Ianukovitch’s cancellation of a treaty which would have paved the way for the country’s entry in Europe, together with his attitude towards the leading opponents were just the missing sparks to fully arouse the opposition coalition’s revolt. Not to mention Putin’s spectrum over the latest economic policies that only benefited the richest.

Violence escalated quickly in Kiev and reached other main cities such as Odessa and Kharkiv, all caught into an urban guerilla involving Molotov cocktails, building blazes, shootings and hand fights. Scenes of chaos partly caused by the ex-president who sent his own “mob” to crackdown his opponents, in compliance with the previous anti-protest laws he had just established. This illegitimate army called the Berkuts, is mostly composed of ex-convicts from Ianukovitch’s home region of Donesk. It was formed to make up for the police effectives as they were experiencing their first defections. Might have been an omen of the government’s downfall?

Indeed, just a few days after, helped by the cowardice of Ianukovitch, who claims to “remain the leader of the nation” although he ran away to Russia instead of officially abdicating, the opposition managed to set up a new government. The new executive forces have been introduced to the crowds who had gathered on Kiev’s Independence Square. The former Economy Minister and one of the opposition leaders, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, has been named as prime minister. Amongst the other ministers, activist Dmyto Bulatov, who was kidnapped and tortured, is to be the next minister of sport. Stepan Kubiv, formerly head of the Maidan headquarters at the Trade Unions Building, will be the head of National Bank. Although they are majorly satisfied with this new council, Ukrainians remain skeptical about the fate of their country as it seems like numerous economic and diplomatic issues are yet to be faced. Their doubts have been confirmed by acting president, Oleksander Turchinov, who admitted the new government would have to take unpopular decisions and would not continue in power after the presidential elections in May.

Besides, facts have been testing the citizens’

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