In Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 22, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy addresses the public during a meeting of the Security and Defense Council following Russia’s decision to formally recognise two Moscow-backed territories of eastern Ukraine as autonomous.

The president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine according to reports acquired by Freelanews, has appealed to the African Union (AU) for assistance in his country’s war with Russia.

The African Union’s Chairperson and Senegalese President, Macky Sall, says he spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko over the phone and noted his request to address the African Union.

The censure of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine has divided Africa.

Sall has tweeted to confirm he discussed with Zelenzkyy on “the need to favour dialogue for a negotiated outcome to the conflict.”

The African Union has encouraged both parties to declare an immediate cease-fire and to begin political dialogue under UN auspices. Since the start of the conflict, African countries have not been unified in their support for Ukraine.

24 African countries, including Senegal, abstained in the UN General Assembly vote on April 7 that suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. Nine more people voted in favour of the resolution, while nine others voted against it.

Kenya abstained in the April vote against Moscow after strongly condemning Russian actions against Ukraine in February. South Africa is one of the few countries that has remained neutral throughout the conflict.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has stated that European wars are “disturbing the world” and that Africa is advising European countries on how to de-escalate. The African Union has yet to announce whether President Zelensky will be allowed to address the assembly as he requested.