The United States has called for a strong African response to what it termed ‘Russian aggression in Ukraine’ on Thursday during a visit by two State Department officials to Africa.
Jessica Lapenn, US ambassador to the African Union, and Akunna Cook, an official in the US State Department’s African Affairs Bureau, were in Senegal for consultation with President Macky Sall, the African Union (AU) president.
The visit was a follow-up to that of Secretary of State Antony Blinken in November and it comes at a time Africa’s stand on the Ukrainian conflict needs to be clearly established. Briefing journalists after the meeting, Lapenn told journalists in Dakar that:
“We look for a strong African response to Russian aggression and welcome the opportunity to partner with Senegal and other Africans on both the response to Russia’s aggression but also to address the implications of it globally, … Africa is very much affected by the Russian invasion, by Ukraine, both because of the economic impact which we are seeing here and across the continent in terms of rising commodities and fuel prices and also because of the threat to territorial integrity.”
Recall that Senegal had abstained in a United Nations General Assembly vote on March 2 demanding a Russian ceasefire in Ukraine. In fact, almost half of all African countries abstained or did not vote in both UN General Assembly votes seeking Russian ceasefire.