African leaders are “working to bring pressure” on Russia’s Vladimir Putin and others to end the war in Ukraine that has caused a cost of living crisis on much of their continent, according to the president of Sierra Leone.
Julius Maada Bio, who is seeking re-election this month, said Africa “always suffers disproportionately” during global crises, from wars to epidemics, but it was often ignored because “our voice has not been strong enough to stop what’s happening out there”.
Speaking on the eve of a high-profile peace mission by a group of African leaders to Moscow and Kyiv this week, Bio said: “We’re working to bring pressure to bear on President Putin and all those concerned so the war can come to an end, so we can live peacefully.”