By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and other leaders of the African peace initiative have called for the unlocking of Russian grain and fertiliser exports to revive a key Black Sea grain deal.
Under the deal, which began a year ago, Russia lifted its blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to allow it to export its grain. The initiative earned vital foreign exchange for Ukraine and helped to bring down global food prices, which were hitting Africa hardest.
But last month Russia president VladimirPutin pulled out of the initiative, insisting he would reinstate it only if Western countries removed the obstacles which he said were hindering Russia’s exports of its own grain and fertiliser. Food and fertiliser are specifically exempt from the general sanctions which Western nations imposed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But Moscow has claimed that other sanctions, such as on shipping and finances, have indirectly impeded its food and fertiliser exports.
The group also called for the United Nations to take action to release 200,000 tons of Russian fertiliser blocked in European Union seaports, said Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman Ramaphosa.
“The leaders called for specific steps to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports, thus allowing the resumption of the full implementation of the Black Sea package initiative,” Magwenya told a press briefing in Pretoria.
In a closed meeting, Putin later told the African leaders that he would only reinstate the initiative if Western countries lifted the restrictions on Russian food and fertiliser exports.
The call to satisfy some of the Kremlin’s requests was made by Ramaphosa and six other heads of state, including Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt and Macky Sall of Senegal, after talks with Putin in Saint Petersburg last week, Magwenya said.
It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Moscow of “blackmail” over its withdrawal from the grain initiative, and the European Union called on G20 countries to push the Kremlin to resume it.
Russia in recent days pounded seaports in Ukraine’s Odesa region that were key for the grain exports granted safe passage under the deal.
Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Republic of Congo and Senegal are part of a seven-country African diplomatic effort to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow.