WATCH | Zelensky to Ramaphosa at UN: African peace mission is bearing fruit

When President Cyril Ramaphosa met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN 78th General Assembly in New York,  Zelensky told him that the African Peace Initiative undertaken in June was beginning to bear fruit.  

"As we engaged with the parties in this conflict, as African leaders, one of the issues we raised was  that there should be confidence-building measures that could create a sense of confidence towards the resolution of this conflict. In this regard we said issues such as the children who were removed from Ukraine should be returned. We also said that the prisoners of war should be exchanged between the two countries," Ramaphosa said. 

"I have just held a meeting with President Zelensky, who says that, in part, some of our efforts are bearing fruit as children are now being returned and prisoners are being exchanged. But then we said we need to see this happening at a much faster pace," said Ramaphosa.  

Delivering South Africa's national statement at the general debate in the General Assembly on Tuesday, the president revealed that he and his Ukrainian counterpart had held a bilateral meeting.  

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 Russia and Ukraine in June in a bid to broker peace in the conflict. South Africa has been criticised for taking a non-aligned stance since the war broke out in February 2022.  

Ramaphosa told world leaders that South Africa has consistently advocated dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy to prevent and end conflict and achieve lasting peace. 

The country has also committed itself to the promotion of human rights, human dignity, justice, democracy and adherence to international law, he said.

"From the experience of our own journey from the evil system of apartheid - which was declared a crime against humanity by this very organisation - to democracy, we value the importance of engaging all parties to conflicts to achieve peaceful, just and enduring solutions.

"It is these principles that inform South Africa’s participation in the African Peace Initiative, which seeks a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine." 

In this conflict, as in all conflicts, the president said, SA has insisted that the UN Charter's principle of respect for territorial integrity of every country be upheld. 

"Our participation in the African Peace Initiative, supported by seven countries on the African continent, is informed by a desire to see an end to the suffering of those most directly affected by the conflict and the millions on our continent and across the world who, as a result of the conflict, are now vulnerable to worsening hunger and deprivation.”  

As the international community, Ramaphosa said, nations must do everything within their means to enable meaningful dialogue, just as they should refrain from any actions that fuel the conflict. 

Turning to the African continent Ramaphosa said nations needed to invest in prevention and peace building.  

South Africa supports the call by the UN secretary-general in the New Agenda for Peace for Member States to provide more sustainable and predictable financing to peace building efforts.   

“As a global community, we should be concerned by recent incidents of unconstitutional changes of government in some parts of Africa. The global community needs to work alongside the African Union to support peace efforts in the eastern DRC, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Central African Republic, South Sudan, northern Mozambique, the Great Lakes Region, the Sahel, Niger and the Horn of Africa.   

“The African Union Peace and Security Council has declared that it stands ready to deepen its co-operation with the UN Security Council to silence the guns on the African continent and to achieve peace, stability and development.”  

Ramaphosa said nations are called upon to remain true to the founding principles of the UN, by recognising the inalienable right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination in line with the relevant General Assembly resolutions.   

“We must work for peace in the Middle East. For as long as the land of the Palestinians remains occupied, for as long as their rights are ignored and their dignity denied, such peace will remain elusive. The actions of the government of Israel have imperiled the possibility of a viable two-state solution.  

“The principles of the UN Charter on territorial integrity and on the prohibition on the annexation of land through the use of force must be applied in this situation.” 

He said South Africa continues to call for the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba, which has caused untold damage to the country’s economy and people, as well as sanctions against Zimbabwe.