Russia, Ukraine 'willing to receive' African peace mission, Ramaphosa tells Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that African heads of states are preparing to undertake a peace mission to Russia and Ukraine in a bid to bring about an end to the conflict.  

Briefing the media at the Tuynhuys official residence in Cape Town on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said he told Lee he represented a number of African leaders with regards to a peace mission.

Ramaphosa said the leaders have been talking and consulting over the past few months on how Africa can contribute to a solution to end the war. 

“This we have been talking about as African leaders, because we concluded that conflict in that part of the world, that much as it does not affect Africa directly in the form of deaths and destruction to our infrastructure, it does have an impact on the lives of many Africans with regards to food security. Prices of fertiliser, cereals and fuel have gone up,” he said.  

“Facilitated by the Brazzaville Foundation, we have been able to have these discussions, and principal to our discussions are efforts towards a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine, its cost in human lives and the impact on the African continent.”

Ramaphosa said he telephonically presented an African leaders peace mission to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. He did this on behalf of African leaders from Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, Egypt and South Africa.  

“The two leaders agreed they will be willing to receive the mission and the African heads of state in both Moscow and Kyiv.  

“I agreed with both that we will commence with preparations for engagements with the African heads of state. The secretary-general of the UN and the AU office were briefed and welcomed the initiative,” said Ramaphosa.  

The phone calls came after US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety broke protocol by publicly accusing the country of arming Russia when the Lady R vessel docked in Simon’s Town in December last year.  

Responding, Lee thanked Ramaphosa for briefing him about the plans. 

“I explained Singapore’s perspective on the war in Ukraine and how we saw it as a matter of fundamental principle that the UN Charter must be upheld, and borders have to be sacrosanct, and that one country cannot invade another with impunity,” he said. 

Lee said a clear disapproval of the situation has to be given, which is why Singapore has taken such a stand on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to oppose and condemn it at the UN and has taken targeted sanctions against Russia. 

“It’s a stand based on principle which we have taken regardless of who the aggressor is and without meaning we are hostile to the countries which are participants. We remain friends with Russia but we cannot approve of what is being done. 

“In the same way we are friends with America, and have been for a very long time, but when America invaded Grenada in... [1983] Singapore voted against that at the UN and condemned the invasion, so it’s a principle and one intended to maintain a consistent foreign policy based on principles and to maintain agency and an independent line by Singapore on international affairs.”  

Lee said South Africa and Singapore have a “good understanding” of one another. 

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