Exclusive: Uganda Hopes Africa’s Ukraine Peace Mission With Kampala's Perspective to Bring Results
15:30 07.06.2023 (Updated: 17:50 07.06.2023)
© Sputnik . Pavel Bednyakov / Go to the mediabankMoses Kawaaluuko Kizige (Republic of Uganda), Smail Benamara (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria) and Nazih Ali Bahaeldin Elnaggari (Arab Republic of Egypt) (from left to right) after the ceremony of presenting credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Foreign States in the Alexander Hall of the Bolshoi Kremlin palace.
![Moses Kawaaluuko Kizige (Republic of Uganda), Smail Benamara (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria) and Nazih Ali Bahaeldin Elnaggari (Arab Republic of Egypt) (from left to right) after the ceremony of presenting credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Foreign States in the Alexander Hall of the Bolshoi Kremlin palace. Moses Kawaaluuko Kizige (Republic of Uganda), Smail Benamara (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria) and Nazih Ali Bahaeldin Elnaggari (Arab Republic of Egypt) (from left to right) after the ceremony of presenting credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Foreign States in the Alexander Hall of the Bolshoi Kremlin palace. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 07.06.2023](https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e7/06/07/1059773269_0:0:2962:1666_1920x0_80_0_0_50c9017cb8d19bcf52fc34cda1fb7644.jpg)
© Sputnik . Pavel Bednyakov
/ Subscribe
Exclusive
In May, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an African peace mission aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In addition to South Africa and Uganda, the mission, which is expected to visit both Kiev and Moscow, includes Zambia, Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Comoros.
Uganda hopes that the African Union peace initiative on Russia and Ukraine will prove fruitful, Moses Kizige, Uganda's ambassador to Moscow told Sputnik Africa.
"You know, for us in Uganda, President Museveni in particular, we resolve the problems by talking to the people who don't agree with us on many issues. So we think that it is through peaceful negotiations that we can have this conflict resolved," Kizige said, adding that "we want to see this situation end as soon as yesterday."
The diplomat also stressed that Uganda abstained from voting in the UN on sanctions against Russia since the East African nation "is not aligned in this matter."
Along with that, Kizige underlined that Russia and Uganda enjoy "good relations," which should be used to develop investment cooperation between the countries. According to ambassador, the food and pharmaceutical industries form the basis of deeper cooperation between the states.
"The food processing, the drying and freezing of fruits and the other fresh foods, like fresh vegetables, is viable. Then the pharmaceutical industry is also viable. But all areas, because Uganda is the number one, the best destination for investments in Africa right now," Kizige pointed out.
The principle objective of the African mission to Ukraine, according to the founder of the Brazzaville Foundation and initiator of the mission, Jean-Yves Olivier, is to encourage and assist in the facilitation of dialogue between Moscow and Kiev.
Olivier noted that the initiative is the first of its kind to be accepted by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Moscow has repeatedly expressed its willingness to negotiate; however, Kiev imposed a legislative ban on negotiations. During a meeting at the G20, Zelensky stated that "there will be no Minsk 3," referring to previous treaties (Minsk 1 and Minsk 2) aimed at resolving the crisis in the Donbass region.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, told Sputnik that the West is urging Russia to hold talks, ignoring Ukraine's persistent refusal to come to the negotiating table.
The same view is held by Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, who pointed out that Moscow is open to examining Kiev's settlement proposals that take into account Russian ones and the situation "on the ground," but that the Ukrainian regime is not interested in this.