The African Union on Thursday said it is extremely concerned at the very serious and dangerous situation created in Ukraine, calling on Russia and other actors to respect international law, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
It said this in a statement shared on its Twitter handle Thursday evening.
“The current Chair of the African Union and President of Senegal, President Macky Sall, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, express their extreme concern at the very serious and dangerous situation created in Ukraine,” it said.
The AU urged Russia and Ukraine to establish an immediate ceasefire and to open political negotiations without delay, under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to preserve the world from the consequences of planetary conflict, and in the interests of peace and stability in international relations in service of all the peoples of the world.
Russian forces in the early hours of Thursday, attacked Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin announced he had authorised a “special military operation” in the country’s east.
