African Leaders Not Visiting Ukraine As Part Of Peace Mission - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2023) The presidents of Egypt, Uganda and the Republic Congo will not visit Ukraine as part of the African peace mission, French radio RFI reported on Thursday.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli will lead the country's delegation on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Sisi, while Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has COVID-19, will be represented by the country's foreign minister, Jeje Odongo. Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso will not take part in the mission, but the country confirmed its participation through Director of the Presidential Cabinet of Congo Florent Ntsiba, the report said, citing sources.

On May 16, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on behalf of African countries, and presented them with a peace initiative from Zambia, Senegal, the Congo, Uganda, Egypt and South Africa.

Ramaphosa said that both presidents agreed to receive a mission of leaders of African nations with their peace initiative on the conflict.

On June 5, the Brazzaville Foundation, one of the organizers of the African peace initiative, said that the African leaders would meet with Zelenskyy in Kiev on June 16 and with Putin in St. Petersburg on June 17.

Earlier in the day, Putin said that on June 17 he was planning to receive a delegation of leaders of a number of African countries to discuss the peace initiative on the Ukrainian conflict.

The Kremlin has stated that the conditions for a peaceful transition of the situation in Ukraine are not there, and that Russia is achieving its goals through its military operation. At the same time, Moscow noted that it appreciates the efforts of all countries that have tried to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution, even though so far this has proved impossible.