Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso have said he expect Africa not to be “silent” on the conflict in Ukraine. President Sassou Nguesso said so on Monday in Abidjan at the start of a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening cooperation between his country, the Republic of the Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.
About 13 agreements will be signed in the fisheries, agriculture, livestock and tourism sectors during the state visit. “We have all experienced the effects of these wars on our people first-hand. Inflation is on the rise everywhere and we believe that Africa cannot remain silent or indifferent in the face of such a tragedy.” said Denis Sassou Nguesso,
The remarks come just days before several heads of state from the continent, including Sassou Nguesso, will meet in Kiev and Moscow to mediate. It also comes amid growing concerns that Russia will abandon an agreement with Ukraine that allows for the safe export of wartime grain and fertilizer from three of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
“It was agreed that a number of heads of state, de facto one head of state for each Central African sub-region plus the current president of the African Union, and five or six heads of state may come Ukraine and Russia to carry a message of peace. Nguesso added.
Concluding the meeting, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara praised his Congolese counterpart’s role as a mediator in the continent.
According to him, a role has borne fruit in Côte d’Ivoire by trying to reconcile former presidents Henri Konan Bédié, Laurent Gbagbo and himself.
