African countries ready for participation in peace talks in Ukraine

This statement was made in Kiev after a meeting with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zambia's president, Hakainde Hichilema, said the African continent “wants to contribute to peace in Ukraine”.

Representatives of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, the Komoros Islands and Egypt are visiting Ukraine to try to mediate peace between Kiev and Moscow, despite three presidents giving up their visit.

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, called on Ukraine and Russia to de-compass conflict.

This war must be resolved and peace must come through negotiations”, he told reporters after his conversation with Zelensky.

Ramaphosa also called for free circulation of cereals.

Moscow is threatening to leave the deal known as the Black Sea Initiative for cereals unless obstacles to its shipments of cereals and garbage are removed.

Ukraine was one of the world's largest cereal exporters before the Russian invasion in February 2022. Much of the exports went to African countries.

Russian warships have blocked Ukraine's Black Sea ports, causing food prices to rise rapidly on global markets and thus hitting the poorest in the world.

The United Nations (OKB) and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Agreement for the first 120 days of war in May 2022 to help resolve the global food crisis. Since then, the agreement has been threatened several times.