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Ukraine condemns Pan-African Parliament members’ trip to occupied Donetsk

December 17, 2024

By Ukraine

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Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong protest on 16 December against a Pan-African Parliament delegation’s visit to Russian-occupied territories in Donetsk Oblast. The delegation included members from 12 African nations.

Ukraine’s National Resistance Center stated that the visit primarily aimed to legitimize Russia’s occupation of Donetsk, while unofficially serving to negotiate the recruitment of mercenaries from African countries for the Russian army. Desperate for more manpower after losing soldiers in Ukraine, Russia deceives foreign civilians into combat roles by promising well-paid non-combat positions. This recruitment drive extends globally, targeting economically challenged nations like Nepal, African and Central Asian countries, as part of Russia’s broader effort to bolster its forces.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has called on the African Union and Pan-African Parliament leadership to condemn the visit and avoid any contact with Russian occupation administration representatives in occupied Ukrainian territories.

The delegation, comprising representatives from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, South Sudan, the Comoros Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Eswatini, Zambia, Somalia, and Mozambique, has been accused of participating in a Russian propaganda campaign.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “by taking part in the Russian propaganda campaign, the African parliamentarians showed gross disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and disregarded the fundamental principles of international law.”

Ukrainian officials particularly criticized the delegation’s statements about opposing colonialism, which the ministry called “completely absurd” when made on Ukrainian territory illegally seized by Russia during its ongoing neo-colonial war of aggression.

The ministry emphasized that the visit contradicts both the spirit of Ukraine’s relations with African nations and the Pan-African Parliament’s founding principles of promoting peace, security, and stability.

The visit also conflicts with the Joint Statement issued by the African Union leadership on 24 February 2022, which called on Russia and other actors to “imperatively respect international law, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine.”

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