The president of South Africa said this week he and other African leaders are preparing to attempt to mediate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in separate planned peace talks with the warring European neighbors.
According to The New York Times, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about the war’s impact in Cape Town on Tuesday during a joint briefing with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“The conflict in that part of the world, much as it does not affect Africa directly in the form of deaths and destruction to our infrastructure, it does have an impact on many Africans,” Ramaphosa stated.
The ongoing conflict has contributed to food insecurity issues across Africa. The costs of goods like fertilizers, grain, and fuel continue to increase, according to the president. Even efforts to trade with other countries are encumbered.
Related: Black South Africans Were Forcibly Removed from Their Town 60 Years Ago After It Was Declared a ‘White Zone.’ Now, Some Have Reclaimed Their Land. Others Took a Payout.
Leaders from South Africa, Egypt, Zambia, Senegal, Uganda, and the Republic of Congo are all planning to act as delegates in upcoming peace missions in Kyiv and Moscow to find a way to end the war.
Dates for the missions have not yet been set or reported, nor has a framework emerged for how the peace talks will be conducted, but The Associated Press reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have apparently given South Africa the green light to “commence preparations” for the missions.
“Principal to our discussions are efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine, its cost in human lives, and the impact on the African continent,’” Ramaphosa said.
South Africa has historically had friendly ties with Russia, even though the country said it would not take sides in the war. The Soviet Union supported South…
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