Warsaw, Poland – The recent travel difficulties faced by an additional security team from South Africa in Warsaw, Poland, are not a cause for concern, according to Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Magwenya reassured that despite the delays caused by logistical and bureaucratic challenges, the existing security teams on the ground have conducted a thorough security threat assessment and have given President Ramaphosa the green light to proceed with his travel to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
“The African Leaders Peace Mission is an unprecedented and historical moment. It’s the first time that the continent has united behind an attempt towards finding a resolution to a conflict outside the African continent. It’s also the first time that a group of African Heads of State and government have traveled together on a peace mission,” stated Magwenya during an interview with SAnews on Thursday.
Earlier today, President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy visit to Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, as a prelude to the African Peace Initiative Mission.
Accompanied by the Presidents of Zambia, Senegal, and the Comoros, President Ramaphosa will continue the journey to Ukraine by train to engage in deliberations with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
The Presidents of Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, and Uganda have appointed representatives to participate in the mission, highlighting the representation of African countries that have experienced the adverse economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Tomorrow, the African leaders will depart from Kyiv to St Petersburg, Russia, where the African delegation will engage in discussions with President Putin on Saturday, June 17. This meeting aims to further the African Peace Mission’s objective of seeking a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
