South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who led a delegation of African leaders, summed up his recent visits to Ukraine and Russia. He believes that the delegation's "peaceful" proposals will be considered by both sides.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the page of the President of South Africa.
In addition to Ramaphosa, the mission included the presidents of Senegal, the Comoros Islands, Zambia and South Africa, as well as the prime minister of Egypt and the envoys of the Republic of Congo and Uganda.
"We presented a ten-point proposal that we believe, as African leaders, can contribute to the various efforts being made by various parties to end the war," the statement said.
What proposals were put forward
The proposal, put forward as part of the African "peace" initiative, includes calls for a de-escalation of hostilities and an immediate start of negotiations, for the release of prisoners of war and the return of children, and large humanitarian support.
Representatives of the delegations stated that they confirmed that the sovereignty of the countries should be respected in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, and also emphasized the urgent need to ensure the security of both countries.
"One of the key achievements of the Peace "mission" was the positive reception we received on both sides, which we found encouraging and which gives reason for optimism that the proposals will be considered," the South African president's page said.
What is the interest of African countries
The delegation drew the attention of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to the fact that Africa is also materially interested in the settlement of the war.
"Both Russia and Ukraine are major suppliers of grain and producers of fertilizers intended for African markets. According to the African Development Bank, the war caused a shortage of about 30 million tons of grain on the African continent, as well as a sharp increase in its price. As a result of this war, African countries are suffering from rising food and energy prices," South Africa reported.
Supply chain disruptions have led to shortages of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, threatening food security in a number of African countries, it said.
What are the results of the delegations' visits to Ukraine and the Russian Federation
The President of South Africa noted that this initiative is of historical importance, as African leaders are leaving for the first time with a "peacekeeping" mission outside the continent.
"Although the delegation included countries that took different positions on various UN resolutions regarding the war in Ukraine, all represented countries took a non-aligned position on this issue. This added credibility to the "mission" and created trust on both sides," the statement said.
Ramaphosa said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Russian dictator Volodymyr Putin agreed on further talks after this first visit. Interaction with both parties and representatives of African countries will continue.
"Peace plan" of the delegation of African countries
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed details of the African peace agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine. The "Peace Plan" consists of 10 main "components".
