‘You are not alone’ – African MPs visit Donetsk Saur-Grave memorial
Officials from 12 African nations visited the Saur-Grave memorial complex in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Wednesday.
The group of 16 foreign dignitaries, led by Acting President of the Pan-African Parliament Gayo Ashebir, attended a memorial event honoring those who had died in battles for the region.
“We are happy to be here, to express solidarity with the citizens of Russia and its state, because Russia is our friend. She has always supported Africa, and that is why we owe you. It is time for us to stand up with Russia as well... Russians, you are not alone,” Ashebir remarked during the event.
The delegation laid flowers at the memorial, which commemorates the sacrifices of soldiers during the liberation of Donbass from Nazi forces during WWII, as well as the Vostok battalion’s defense against Ukrainian nationalists in 2014.
The memorial, which had been destroyed in the first year of the region’s conflict with Kiev a decade ago, was rebuilt in September 2024.
Senator Aleksandr Voloshin, who represents the DPR in Russia’s Federation Council, accompanied the delegation, using the occasion to address the Western nations.
“Turning to the countries of Western democracies, we would like to draw attention to the fact that it would be nice in this democracy at least sometimes to hear the opinion of people, the opinion of peoples... Even if it is at odds with the worldview that the Western establishment has,” he said.
Steve Mikaya, a member of Malawi’s National Assembly, noted that the group aimed to discern the truth amidst widespread media narratives.
“We came here to get firsthand information as representatives of the people of Africa. We are all elected members of parliament, so we want to find out how things are directly on the ground,” Mikaya stated.
The delegation included representatives from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, South Sudan, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Eswatini, Zambia, Somalia, and Mozambique. The visit highlights ongoing diplomatic engagement between Russia and the African nations.
Four former Ukrainian territories, including the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, collectively known as Donbass, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, held public referendums in 2022, where they decided to become federal subjects of Russia.
Kiev’s Western-backed coup in 2014 prompted the Donbass republics to declare independence. The new Kiev regime launched hostilities in which the towns of the region were routinely shelled. The strikes have intensified since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said protecting the people of Donbass is one of the country’s priorities in the conflict.
