News24 | SA snubs Ukraine peace communique, Kenya condemns Russian asset forfeiture

Kenya’s President William Ruto.

SA was the only African country that didn’t sign the Ukraine peace communique demands in Switzerland.Kenya condemned the European Union and United States for seizure of Russian assets – but also Russia’s war.Ten African countries attended the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland.

South Africa did not sign a joint communiqué at the weekend’s Ukraine Peace Summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, while Kenya stood against the ongoing seizure of Russian assets by NATO-aligned countries. 

South Africa was the only invited African country not to sign the statement, joined by Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico.

South Africa did not send a high-level delegation.

READ | Swiss Ukraine peace conference kicks off without Russia or an SA minister

Russia was not invited, though Switzerland at times claimed it had effectively disinvited itself, while China refused to attend without Russia.

Other African countries that attended the summit were Kenya, Rwanda, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, and Somalia. 

Those countries all signed the pledge.

Some of the key resolutions from the document were:

Prisoners of war are to be released by complete exchange.Restoration of uninterrupted manufacturing and supply of food products through access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas.The installations and functionality of Ukrainian nuclear power plants under the sovereign control of Ukraine.

One of Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky’s sideline meetings at the summit was with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto.

According to the Kenyan presidency, the two leaders spoke about food security and growing ties between Kyiv and Nairobi.

However, Ruto somewhat surprisingly, condemned his country’s long-standing allies the United States and the European Union’s seizure of Russian assets because of the war.

But he was also clear that the war waged by Russia on Ukraine was illegal.

“Just as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unlawful and unacceptable, the unilateral appropriation of Russian assets is equally unlawful, unacceptable and a derogation from the UN Charter, especially for those of us who believe in freedom, justice, democracy,” he said in a speech.

The US treasury has so far frozen Russian assets worth about R1.1 trillion in the form of private planes, yachts and homes linked to Russian oligarchs.

READ | It got weird when SA went to Russia and spoke only about Gaza

The EU seized more, understood to be worth some R4 trillion.

About R60 billion from the sale of Chelsea football club by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich in 2022 was promised to Ukraine war victims.

But the US insists that using the money from the proceeds of Russian assets is not theft because they will be used to rebuild Ukraine.

Round about the same time last year, Zelensky met African leaders drawn from Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, South Africa, and Comoros in Kyiv.

At the time he ruled out talks with Russia.

The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

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