Now is the time to talk peace, African presidents tell Russia's Putin

A delegation of African leaders seeking to mediate in the Ukraine conflict told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that it was time to negotiate an end to fighting, which they said was harming the entire world.

The delegation, which includes presidents from Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, and Comoros, as well as the prime minister of Egypt, travelled to Kyiv on Friday, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is in Russia as part of a peace-seeking delegation, alsotold his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the conflict in Ukraine had to stop.

"This war has to have an end... It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means," said Ramaphosa.

He added that his delegation, consisting of seven African leaders, "came with a very clear message: that this war has to be ended."

"This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world," Ramaphosa said ahead of formal talks with the Russian president.

On Friday, the delegation held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

"We have come to listen to you and through you to hear the voice of the Russian people," said Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union.

"We wanted to encourage you to enter into negotiations with Ukraine," he said.

African countries have been divided over their response to the conflict, with some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.