Ambassador explains why Africa launched Ukraine peace initiative
Africa came up with its Ukraine peace initiative because the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is hampering the continent’s development and “bedeviling” the whole world, the South African ambassador to Russia, Mzuvukile Maqetuka, has told RT.
Maqetuka’s interview, which was published on Sunday, was dedicated to Mandela Day, which is celebrated on July 18 in honor of Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid activist, who served as South Africa’s president between 1994 and 1999.
Speaking about the African peace plan, the ambassador suggested that “Mandela would be very proud of the decision that was taken by the seven African leaders to take their role in international politics to assist in the resolution of a conflict that is bedeviling the whole world.”
A high-profile delegation, featuring the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, and the Comoros, as well as the Egyptian prime minister and senior officials from the Republic of Congo and Uganda, visited both St. Petersburg and Kiev last month for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.
For Africa, such a mission was something “that has never been heard of” before, Maqetuka pointed out. “We are happy that we were listened [to] by both presidents,” he added.
Maqetuka, who was among the officials attending the talks in St. Petersburg between Putin and the African leaders, said that “the meeting went very well.”
“The reason why Africa decided to get involved is because of the impact of the war in Ukraine on Africa itself,” the ambassador said. Among other things, the continent is dependent on deliveries of food products and fertilizer from Russia and Ukraine, which have been hampered due to the fighting.
“Personally, my fear is that if this war continued it would mean that… our development programs would be delayed,” he said.
At the same time, Maqetuka stressed that “we [the Africans] don’t fool ourselves to say that we are going to solve the problems [between Russia and Ukraine]. The problems will be solved by the two countries that are in conflict.”
