At the Russia-Africa meeting, the president of South Africa expresses worry over food security

At the Russia-Africa meeting on Friday in St. Petersburg, the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, appealed for peace in Ukraine.

Following Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal, Ramaphosa also emphasized his concern about the issue of food security in Africa.

“Even in this instance with the crisis in the Ukraine, we continue to call for peace, and in a sense, we feel we have a right to do so since the continued fighting, as you have heard throughout the day, also badly impacts us, as African countries. In addition to wishing to promote a global peace process, this violence now directly affects us as well. The cost of our fertilizers has increased, as we previously informed you with regard to food security, stated Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa.

Only 17 African heads of state attended the conference, which is a considerable decrease from the 43 who attended the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in 2019.