CAPE TOWN - The African Union (AU) has raised concern over Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for an “immediate ceasefire” to avoid a "planetary conflict".
AU chair, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a statement that they were “extremely concerned” by the invasion, adding that a very serious and dangerous situation was being created in the Ukraine.
They called on the Russian Federation and any other regional or international actor to “imperatively respect international law, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”.
They also urged the both parties to establish immediate ceasefire and open political negotiations without dela , under the auspices of the United Nations, “to preserve the world from the consequences of planetary conflict, and in the interests of peace and stability in international relations in service of all the peoples of the world”.
Meanwhile, the South African government on Thursday called for a peaceful resolution of the escalating conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.
South Africa said it is dismayed at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and that the situation had deteriorated despite calls for diplomacy to prevail.
The country has called on the UN Security Council to play its role in the search for peace, adding that the Security Council remained the primary body tasked with the mandate to maintain international peace and security and it must exercise its responsibility fully in this regard.
“We also believe that the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General could also make a positive contribution in finding a lasting solution to this conflict,” it said.
The South African Embassy in Kyiv says it was monitoring developments closely and also assisting South African nationals in Ukraine.
IOL