A ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, May 8, 2025. With the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany, World War II ended on May 8, 1945 (also known as Victory in Europe Day or VE Day). At least 55 million people had died during the war and around six million Jews had fallen victim to the Nazi’s Holocaust throughout Europe /XINHUA/DU ZHEYU

The poem, Africa, My Africa, by David Diop encapsulates the continent’s place and plight in a world where others have for ages dictated the destiny of what he calls the land of “proud warriors in ancestral savannahs”.

Africa, burdened by humiliation, has faced abuse, exploitation, enslavement, colonisation, shameless racism, neo-colonialism and other untold evil imperialistic designs. Though its scars run deep, it stands firm – undaunted and unbowed!

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), celebrated on May 9. This day in 1945 commemorates Germany's unconditional capitulation in World War II. And 33 years earlier, in 1918, humanity had ended another catastrophe: World War I.

In both wars, which visited unimaginable human suffering, Africa was affected despite its remoteness from what were purely European political conflicts.

The sons of Africa were maimed and killed in wars they did not fully understand. In a nutshell, Africans and others like Russians, who fought and paid the ultimate price in World War II, found themselves, as in 1914, drawn into the "wrong" and bloody conflict.

To add insult to injury, their contribution to the victory over fascism remains grossly underestimated. It’s hardly captured in the footnotes of the annual victory speeches.

For Africans, World War II began on their home soil in 1935 when Italy invaded Ethiopia. Although it was a cruel and unjust event, it planted a new seed for liberation in their hearts and spirits. Ironically, the liberation struggle emerged from the experiences of the war, which revealed the vulnerabilities of their colonial and exploitative masters.

For instance, Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, the leader of the Mau Mau, an armed peasants’ uprising against colonial oppression, served in the British Army during World War II. Though his time in the war was brief, he gained valuable skills that helped him and his comrades successfully fight for Kenya's Uhuru (independence).

As soldiers or prisoners of war, Africans stationed on the front lines were in close contact with European soldiers and witnessed the realities of European life. They understood that Europeans were mortal and vulnerable, no better or superior to themselves. The war instilled a fighting spirit and empowered them with tactical skills, which not only helped but also prepared them to break the shackles of colonialism and regain their dignity.

World War II significantly altered global perspectives on class, race and politics, particularly in European colonies, leading to a crisis for colonial empires. It transformed political activism in Africa; before 1945, the emphasis was on participation in existing governments, but afterwards, the demand for independence became urgent among anti-colonial movements.

Thus, 1945 marked a critical turning point in modern African history. That struggle continues because the vestiges of colonialism and imperialism persist.

The embers of the spirit of freedom were recently ignited in three West African States – Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali – that are boldly unshackling themselves from the cruel cords of their exploitative colonial masters.

The return of African soldiers led to resentment among them, as many of their comrades died in the trenches defending their colonial masters.

Those who survived the war returned with lifelong scars and trauma, only to be immediately thrust back into their oppressive and deprived environments. Meanwhile, their counterparts were rewarded, fuelling frustration that quickly morphed into collective anger and resistance.

The treatment of black soldiers by their white counterparts and commanders was often biased and unfair. For instance, South African politician Ronnie Kasrils, a former freedom fighter and military commander, says racial discrimination in the South African army was so deeply entrenched that black and white soldiers were buried separately.

He states that the achievements of some black South African soldiers would have earned them Britain’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, if they had been white! Instead, at the end of the war, black soldiers were given overcoats and bicycles as rewards.

Despite their efforts on behalf of their masters, African troops who returned home filled with anti-fascist ideals were rarely granted any privileges by the imperialists. 

As Diop predicted in his work, Africa My Africa, from a deep well of frustration and humiliation, Africa began to rise again, with its newfound freedom carrying a bittersweet taste of liberty.

They resisted a return to low-paid, demeaning and exhausting jobs. During the war and post-war years, there were increased mass meetings, demonstrations and mutinies among servicemen and former soldiers in colonial regions. In this journey of self-determination, the Africans found an ally – the Russians, who, too, were drawn into a  “wrong war” and played a significant role in defeating fascism.

Many African soldiers were deployed to Ethiopia, Italian Somalia, Eritrea, western Europe, the Middle East and Burma. At the onset of World War II, northeastern Africa became a critical strategic base for intense battles. The war's impact was felt on the continent even before thousands of Africans were recruited as soldiers and support staff for white troops.

Over a million African soldiers fought alongside the colonial powers during World War II. Many did not fully grasp the reasons behind the war or what they were fighting for. Only a handful of them had a deeper understanding of Hitler and fascism.

One veteran, John Henry Smith from Sierra Leone, recalled that his teacher assigned him to read Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. He said, "We read what this man intended to do to black Africans if he came to power. It was a book that would inspire every African to rise against such ideas, as it did for me."

Consequently, Smith volunteered and joined the British Royal Air Force, where he served as a navigator. He was never rewarded for his heroic deeds in war, but returned a liberator for his people.

The experience of war changed Africans' views of their situation. Many veterans joined liberation movements after returning home, but faced criticism from independence fighters for fighting alongside colonisers. World War II veterans often feel bitter as their contributions to defeating fascism have been ignored.

Africans were aware of the Soviet Union's role in the fight against fascism. This was aptly illustrated during the 2015 VE Day celebration by PI Kupriyanov, the oldest Institute of African Studies employee of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. 

He recounted a visit to Liberia several years after the war had ended. During his visit, he met an elderly Liberian who had listened to broadcasts about the successes of the Red Army during the war. The Liberian was eager to see a “red-skinned, giant and amazing” Soviet soldier – himself – who had helped defeat Hitler’s army, just as he had heard on the radio.

Ronnie Kasrils aptly captures Africa’s gains for fighting and dying in other people’s wars: “The victory over fascism saved the world from slavery and catastrophe. It also brought about the collapse of the colonial system. It facilitated Africa's independence and the emergence of armed liberation movements such as ours, which received support from the USSR and the countries of the socialist camp.”

He points out that Western revisionists of history are eager to rewrite, minimise and distort the former USSR's role in the victory over fascism and its support for liberation struggles in Africa. The Russians have historically supported African patriots in their fight for liberation and continue to stand with them against post-colonial exploitation and Western imperialism in the true spirit of brotherhood born and nurtured in the blood-drenched trenches fighting against fascism.

As world commemorates the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is not only opportunity to recognise everyone's contribution in overcoming fascism, but a time to resolve to tackle other evils, such as slavery, colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism, which still hinder global peace, harmony and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms.  And then can we honestly speak of a united international community cured of the evils, biases and hate that debase humanity’s existence.

This is why the UN General Assembly's resolution, calling on countries to honour all victims of World War II and supported by Kenya, is a commendable step forward.

The resolution also calls on countries to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and for the president of the general assembly to hold a special commemorative meeting of the GA “to commemorate all victims of World War II during the second week of May in 2025 and to hold such meetings every five years thereafter”.