Denis Sassou Nguesso, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, asserts that Africa cannot “stay quiet” in the face of the situation in Ukraine.
This was declared by President Sassou Nguesso on Monday in Abidjan at the start of a three-day state visit aimed at fostering collaboration between his nation, the Republic of Congo, and the Ivory Coast. During the state visit, over 13 agreements will be inked in the areas of tourism, agriculture, livestock breeding, and fishing.
“We are all suffering the effects of these wars directly on our peoples. Inflation is rising everywhere, and we believe that Africa cannot remain silent or indifferent in the face of such a tragedy,” Denis Sassou Nguesso, said.
The remark comes just a few days before several of the continent’s heads of state, including Sassou Nguesso, are set to meet in Kiev and Moscow to mediate. It also comes as concerns grow about Russia quitting the Ukraine deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilizers from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
“It was agreed that a few heads of state, in fact one head of state per Central African sub-region plus the current President of the African Union, and that 5 or 6 heads of state could travel to Ukraine and Russia to bring a message of peace.” Nguesso added.
At the end of the meeting, the Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara praised his Congolese counterpart’s role as mediator on the continent. A role which, according to him, has borne fruit in the Ivory Coast by trying to reconcile past Presidents Henri Konan Bédié, Laurent Gbagbo and himself.
