By John Ikani
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleb has begun his African tour with Senegal as the first port of call.
The Ukrainian diplomat met Senegal’s Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall and they signed several bilateral co-operation deals.
He promised that his embattled country will do all it can to send more grain to Africa.
Ukraine will be sending “boats full of seeds for Africa,” Kuleba said after meeting with Senegal’s president and foreign minister in Dakar on Monday.
“We will do our best until the last breath to continue exporting Ukrainian grain to Africa and the world for food security,” Kuleba said.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall, the current chairman of the African Union, had earlier urged Russia and Ukraine to resume their grain exports despite the ongoing war.
Many African countries depend heavily on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Amid market shortages, Russia has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices.
Western leaders, meanwhile, have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest.
Mr Kuleba is on an apparent counteroffensive tour following a visit to the continent by Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov in July, ahead of plans to host the second Russia-Africa summit in Ethiopia next year.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly made overtures to African leaders to condemn Russia over its invasion of his country.
