African leaders began their peace mission in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as explosions rocked the city.
The African delegation, which includes leaders from South Africa, Senegal, the Comoros and Egypt, are scheduled to meet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Friday to make peace proposals.
They were expected to meet Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
Even as they arrived, two explosions reportedly hit the city missiles. Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv Mayor warned that more missiles were headed towards the area.
However, African leaders were not hurt as they were in a hotel and the Spokesperson for the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, said the peace “mission is proceeding well and as planned.”
Vincent Magwenya said: “The President arrived here safely in Kyiv alongside other heads of state and government.”
He also made reference to journalists kept on a plane overnight in Poland, calling it a “hitch” in the plan. Journalists on board a plane to Kyiv to cover the African peace delegation were held in Poland overnight and prevented from leaving.
Amanda Khoza, a journalist at South Africa’s Sunday Times, who is stuck on the grounded plane, said they have spent the night on board and were told to hand over their passports this morning.
“At this stage, we all just want to shower and brush our teeth, honestly,” she tweeted.
“What a horrible experience.”
Mr Magwenya said: “Notwithstanding the hitches that have been experienced in Poland with the charter flight that carried the PPS team and the media, the rest of the mission is proceeding well and as planned.
“We are now awaiting the commencement of the talks with President Zelenskyy.
“This peace mission is the first time that Africa is united behind a resolution of a conflict outside of our continent.
“Africa has been severely impacted by this conflict in terms of food insecurity and the price of grain, the price of fertilizer, but equally this mission serves to seek a road to peace that will alleviate the suffering that is being experienced by people in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian grain is a vital import for some of the world’s lowest-income countries and has been disrupted by the conflict.
