African peace initiative was necessary, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the recent African leaders peace initiative to bring an end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, saying it was necessary because the continent was feeling the devastating consequences of the war.

“We did this because this continent of ours knows the devastating consequences of war which are not limited to hunger, therefore advocating for peace is a matter that came fairly easy to us, that we should go and put forward 10 key elements of what could constitute a resolution.

“We did this because as the African continent we too are feeling the effects of the war in that part of the world,” he said.

Ramaphosa and other African heads of state, including Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Senegal's President Macky Sall, the Comoros' President Azali Assoumani and Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, visited the two countries in June in a bid to broker peace in the conflict.

Speaking on the first day of the Brics political parties dialogue during a gala dinner at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg in Gauteng on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said there were challenges to multilateralism and global security which affected the African continent and the global south more adversely.

He said it was important for the dialogue to recommit to peace and stability as well as to support the role of a strengthened and reformed UN and to reiterate respect for international law. 

Speaking about promoting peace and security, Ramaphosa said his party firmly maintained conflicts are best resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

“The war that is raging in the northern hemisphere in Ukraine impacts the continent in ways that require intervention from all peace-loving people.”

Ramaphosa said he was aware of the interventions made by countries to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict which broke out in February last year. 

“Seven African countries felt the need to make an intervention in this regard and travelled to Ukraine and Russia to put forward an African perspective on how best this conflict should be brought to an end.

“Of major concern were food security, fuel prices and the cost of living,” Ramaphosa said.

“It was therefore felt by the leaders of the seven nations that we cannot become mere spectators and we should put forward an African perspective.”

This they did mindful of other proposals on the table, and argued their proposals should be seen as complementing and adding to those from China and Brazil.

“We did take this bold step to advocate for peace and dialogues with the parties involved in the conflict. Initially there were efforts to not have this mission go ahead. After a number of months of quiet diplomacy and discussions we were able to proceed, having briefed countries, including on the continent.”

Ramaphosa said the African leaders were “proud this initiative had been welcomed by many, and more especially the Ukrainian and Russian leaders in that they responded quite positively in terms of meeting the delegation that went to Ukraine and Russia.

“In the end, the seven country leaders, in a way, were able to achieve what many have not been able to do, to talk to both parties more or less at the same time and to find great acceptance in having discussions about the war.”

As political parties gather to review the geopolitical situation, Ramaphosa said another area of importance that needed to be looked at was the need to transform global institutions such as the UN Security Council. 

“This transformation should ensure these institutions become more equitable and ensure countries have a sense their views are represented,” he said, adding that all major powers should prioritise the reform of the Security Council. 

Earlier deputy president Paul Mashatile slammed “cynics” who labelled the trip to St Petersburg and Kyiv as a “failure”.

“We note that cynics have, as is their wont, rushed to impose a death sentence on the African effort by prematurely describing it as a failure. It is difficult to understand how these doomsayers expected a solution to the conflict would have been sought and found after just one meeting,” he said at the dialogue attended by high-ranking delegates including former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe.

The trip, which was widely criticised, took place as South Africa grapples with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. The country is a signatory to the Rome Statute and is therefore obliged to arrest the Russian president if he visits South Africa for the Brics Summit in August.

Mashatile said: “We are fully behind the African peace initiative led by President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African heads of state and government to find a peaceful solution to the conflict by initiating dialogue between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We are confident the African peace initiative will ultimately succeed. We are keenly aware the solution will not be found overnight.”

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