Russia and Ukraine have “agreed” to receive the peace delegation. However, observers are brittle at the idea that South Africa, with its diminishing global profile, can silence the guns in east Europe.
“The African initiative will make no difference whatsoever to the situation in Ukraine. Both Putin and Zelensky will receive the delegation with protocol and politeness and send it on its way,” says Stephen Chan, diplomacy expert at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies.
Meeting Singapore’s prime minister this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said peace missions led by South Africa and endorsed by the heads of state of Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, and Egypt are on their way to both Kiev and Moscow.
“I speak on behalf of those countries. The heads of state will be leading this process, it’s not really South Africa alone, it’s collectively,” Ramaphosa said. “It is
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