The Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Union of Comoros, Azali Assoumani yesterday (July 28) called for a “ceasefire” in the Ukraine-Russia war.
He was accompanying Russian President Vladimir Putin when he read a statement to the Press at the close of the two-day Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Assoumani said that nothing less than a ceasefire would suffice to mitigate the crisis of soaring food prices that has befallen the world compounded by Russia’s exit from the Black Sea grain deal.
The world, and Africa in particular, is jittery, worried of a food crisis on the back of Russia’s exit from the deal that enabled it to export grain through Ukraine ports in the Black Sea.
However, Putin has assured African leaders that his country is able to supply African partners with grain for free and under commercial terms. He expressed confidence that Russia is poised for another bumper harvest this year and will send free grain to six African countries, among them Zimbabwe.
The African Union (AU), which professes non-alignment, has waded into the Russia-Ukraine conflict as mediators. Earlier efforts led by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to bring both Putin and Ukraine’s Volodomyr Zelensky to the negotiation table, were not successful, but were hailed as a good start.
A select group of leaders again met Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit to persuade him to meet and talk with Zelensky, and according to Assoumani, Russia’s President was amenable to the suggestion.
Assoumani said what remained for them was to extend the same invite to Zelensky and hear what he will say.
He was accompanying Russian President Vladimir Putin when he read a statement to the Press at the close of the two-day Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Assoumani said that nothing less than a ceasefire would suffice to mitigate the crisis of soaring food prices that has befallen the world compounded by Russia’s exit from the Black Sea grain deal.
The world, and Africa in particular, is jittery, worried of a food crisis on the back of Russia’s exit from the deal that enabled it to export grain through Ukraine ports in the Black Sea.
However, Putin has assured African leaders that his country is able to supply African partners with grain for free and under commercial terms. He expressed confidence that Russia is poised for another bumper harvest this year and will send free grain to six African countries, among them Zimbabwe.
The African Union (AU), which professes non-alignment, has waded into the Russia-Ukraine conflict as mediators. Earlier efforts led by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to bring both Putin and Ukraine’s Volodomyr Zelensky to the negotiation table, were not successful, but were hailed as a good start.
A select group of leaders again met Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit to persuade him to meet and talk with Zelensky, and according to Assoumani, Russia’s President was amenable to the suggestion.
Assoumani said what remained for them was to extend the same invite to Zelensky and hear what he will say.
