Senegal President arrives in Russia for meeting with Putin over Ukraine war

A Twitter handle dedicated to Senegal’s presidency of the Africa Union, reported that Macky Sall and his delegation arrived in Sochi on evening of Thursday, June 2.

He will along with AU Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, hold talks with Putin in Sochi on Friday, June 3.

“The President will meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin to convey the voice of Africa in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: a conflict that weighs heavily on the continent’s economies.

“As announced to the chancellor Olaf Scholz in Dakar on May 22, H.E Macky Sall will reaffirm the African position to contribute to appeasement in the war in Ukraine, its willingness to contribute to #peace and to work towards a cease-fire,” a statement on the trip read.

It continued: “Another topic of vital importance for Africa the consequences of the conflict for the continent, particularly the rising cost of hydrocarbons and difficulty to access wheat, largely imported from Ukraine and Russia.”

Reports indicate that President Sall will emphasise on the need to free grain stocks and fertilisers, the blockage of which particularly affects African countries.

The statement also disclosed that the African Union had accepted the request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address a message to the African Union soon.