Presidency
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the African Peace Initiative to Ukraine and Russia was a 'historic' effort to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two countries.
Writing in his weekly Monday column, Ramaphosa said it was the first time African leaders have embarked on a peace mission beyond the shores of the continent.
"Although the delegation comprised countries that have taken diverse positions on the various UN resolutions on the conflict, the countries represented have all taken a non-aligned stance on this issue. This has lent credibility to the mission and engendered trust from both sides," he said.
Ramaphosa joined African Heads of State from Senegal, the Comoros, and Zambia as well as the Heads of
Governments of Egypt, the Republic of Congo, and Uganda, on the two-day peace mission where they met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader President Vladimir Putin over the weekend.
"As South Africa, we continue to maintain our position that this conflict should be settled through negotiation and by diplomatic means, in line with founding principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, and that it is in the collective interest of everyone that it come to an end soon," he said.
President Ramaphosa said the African leaders set out a ten-point plan that could "contribute to various efforts that have been made" to bring an end to the conflict.
"Included in the proposal being put forward as part of the African Peace Initiative are calls for a de-escalation of fighting and for negotiations to commence with urgency; for the release of prisoners of war and return of children; for greater humanitarian support; and for reconstruction efforts to be prioritised.
"We affirmed that the sovereignty of countries should be respected in line with the principles of the United Nations Charter. We highlighted the urgent need that the security of both nations should be guaranteed," he said.
