African Leaders Set for Peace Mission to Ukraine and Russia, Organisation Aims to Foster Peace Between The Two

• A team of seven African leaders has embarked on a peace mission to Kyiv in Ukraine for a peace talk between the country and Russia
• The seven-man delegation is made up of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and senior representatives of Egypt, Senegal, Comoros, Uganda, Zambia, and the Republic of the Congo
• The peace mission is organised by a non-profit organisation, the Brazzaville Foundation

Kyiv, Ukraine - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading seven African leaders on a peace mission between Ukraine and Russia.

Ramaphosa, arrived at Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on 16 June, before heading to Russia with his seven-member team on a peace mission, BBC Pidgin reported.

Per ABC7 News, the African group, which includes leaders from South Africa and Egypt, will speak with President Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on achieving a cease-fire and lasting peace.

Read also

Thabo Mbeki speaks on African peace mission to Russia and Ukraine, defends Mzansi’s neutral stance

This latest move by the African leaders comes after Kyiv launched a counter-offensive which increased the volatility of the war.

African leaders on the team

In addition to the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the delegation also includes Senegalese President Macky Sall, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and the President of Comoros, the current chairperson of the African Union, Azali Assoumani.

Organiser of the peace initiative

The peace mission is organised by an independent non-profit, the Brazzaville Foundation.

The goals of the Brazzaville Foundation are to develop initiatives and prevent wars and violence, especially in Africa.

The peace mission is put together by Jean-Yves Ollivier, a Frenchman who has helped secure the release of hostages in the Central African Republic.

Ollivier has also negotiated one power-sharing deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read also

Diplomatic spat at Polish airport concludes at SA journalists and Ramaphosa's security personnel return home

Concerning the war in Ukraine, the Brazzaville Foundation has stated that dialogue is critical.

Foundation members have met with representatives from Ukraine and Russia in the past few months.

According to the foundation website, their objective is to help with the resumption of peace talks between both countries, and the members hope to make progress during these visits to Ukraine and Russia.

Aims of the mission

In previously published interviews, Jean-Vyes Ollivier had said the aim was to commence talk instead of trying to resolve the war.

He noted that the talks should start from issues without direct connection with the military situation and build from there.

One such talk is a potential swap (exchange) of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The other is to find solutions to issues of importance to Africa, like grain and fertiliser.

The war has seriously affected and blocked the export of grain from Ukraine and fertilisers from Russia, increasing global food insecurity in Africa.

Read also

Ramaphosa concludes Africa's peace mission with no deal between Russia and Ukraine, briefs SA with video

The African continent also depends on imports from the two countries.

Cyril Ramaphosa hindered by Polish officials in Ukraine

Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Ukraine for the much-anticipated African-lead peace mission.

The president was forced to enter the war-torn nation without his entire security detail because of a spat over weapons permits in Poland.

Ramaphosa's head of security Wally Rhoode has accused the Polish government of trying to sabotage the peace mission.

Source: Legit.ng