During a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged for an end to the crisis in Ukraine, saying that the conflict threatens Africa’s food security.
On Thursday, Rampahosa claimed the two talked about the “tragic human cost” of Moscow’s offensive as well as its “global consequences.”
“We agree that the conflict has harmed Ukraine’s status in global supply chains, especially its position as a major exporter of food to our continent,” he tweeted.
Ukraine is a significant exporter of wheat and corn to Africa, among other consumables, and the country’s weeks-long conflict has disrupted supplies and driven up prices, raising fears of a hunger crisis.
According to Zelenskyy, he warned Rampahosa about Ukraine’s “resistance to Russian aggression” and the “danger of a global food crisis” was discussed.
Ramaphosa has so far rejected calls to criticise Russia’s invasion. He accused the transatlantic, US-led NATO military alliance for not listening to Moscow’s concerns about its eastward expansion in mid-March.
Following a contentious call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 10, he also asserted that South Africa’s “neutrality” allowed it to “speak to both sides” about the situation.
South Africa’s decision to abstain from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s offensive, along with 34 other countries, prompted criticism from the United States and its Western allies.
Ramaphosa is the head of the African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled South Africa since the 1994 end of white minority rule.
Because of its support for the anti-apartheid struggle in the country, the ANC has close ties to the former Soviet Union, and regards itself as a champion of the non-aligned movement.
