PRETORIA, June 15. /TASS/. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is on his way to Kiev, where he is to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as part of Africa’s collective peace effort for Ukraine, his administration said in a statement on Thursday.
"President Ramaphosa is now proceeding to the Ukrainian capital Kiev," the statement says. "[On] Friday 16 June, President Ramaphosa will leave Kiev en route to St Petersburg, Russia, where the African delegation will engage with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin on Saturday, 17 June."
"The Mission comprises the leaders of South Africa, Zambia, the Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Senegal and Uganda," the South African presidency added. "President Ramaphosa is scheduled to return home on Sunday, 18 June."
South African presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya confirmed late on Thursday that four African presidents - Ramaphosa, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani and Senegalese President Macky Sall have departed to Kiev. The leaders of the Republic of the Congo, Egypt and Uganda have sent their representatives, Magwenya said, adding that he would refrain from commenting on the reasons why they opted against going to Russia and Ukraine in person.
Radio France International (RFI) reported on Thursday, with reference to non-profit Brazzaville Foundation, that Egypt will be represented by the country’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Museveni was diagnosed with the coronavirus right before the trip, while his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso decided not to take part.
In the run-up to his departure, Ramaphosa said that "the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is a grave situation that affects all of us in an interconnected world."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on May 16 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to receive a delegation from African countries seeking a peaceful settlement of the conflict. On June 6, he said that the mission’s goal would be to outline the framework for a peaceful solution of the Ukrainian crisis.