APA-Pretoria (South Africa) A six-member delegation of African leaders has resolved to visit Russia and Ukraine in mid-June on a peace mission to push for a resolution of the conflict between the eastern Europe neighbours, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed.
Addressing journalists following his meeting with visiting Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Pretoria on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said the African leaders met on Monday “and confirmed that we are now at a stage where we are going to visit Kyiv and Moscow.”
He said the African leaders want to listen to both sides to establish the views of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and what they need from the mission.
“Our mission is a peace mission and we want to dub it as ‘the road to peace’ mission,” Ramaphosa said.
According to his office, Ramaphosa hosted the presidents of Comoros, Egypt, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia on June 5 to discuss the African Peace Initiative with regard to the war in Ukraine.
“The leaders agreed that they would engage with both President Putin and President Zelensky on the elements for a ceasefire and a lasting peace in the region,” the South African presidency said on Tuesday.
It added that foreign ministers of the respective African countries have been tasked to finalise the elements of a roadmap to peace.
“The presidents confirmed their availability to travel to Ukraine and Russia in mid-June.”
NM/jn/APA