Ukraine now want African leaders to push Russia to free prisoners
GOOBJOOG NEWS | KYIV: Ukrainian president Volodmir Zelenskey has asked African leaders to ask his Russian counterpart Vladmir Putin to free political prisoners being held in Crimea and other areas as one step towards achieving peace.
African presidents from South Africa, Comoros and Zambia are leading a delegation of continental leaders who are scheduled to hold meetings in Kyiv and Moscow in a bid to broker peace.
“This conflict is affecting Africa negatively,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy and the four other African heads of state or government, after the leaders met for closed-door talks on Friday afternoon.
The latest attempt by African states is seen as crucial as the continent has been adversely impacted by the war as both Ukraine and Russia supply fertilizer and food to various countries in Africa.
“Today, we even told President Zelenskyy that we not only recognise their viewpoint, but we also respect how they feel about the war that’s going on. But we also said there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later,” president Ramaphosa said.
President Zelensky however maintained that Russia should withdraw from the Ukrainian territory before meaningful negotiations begin.
“I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering.”
Adding, “We need real peace, and therefore, a real withdrawal of Russian troops from our entire independent land.”
- By Fauxile Kibet