By Peter Sinkamba

REVIVAL OF THE AFRICAN INITIATIVE ON GLOBAL PEACE

In September, 2001, when U.S. and its NATO allies unilaterally declared war against Iraq, a group of African activists formed the African Initiative on Global Peace (AIGP).

Working in collaboration with civil society colleagues from the US, we launched a preemptive engagement with the US Government to stop US President George Bush from proceeding with war. In addition to directly engaging with staff, we also carried out peaceful protests and vigils at White House as a way of putting pressure on President Bush to abandon the war idea. The rest is history.

Following the military operation of Russia in Ukraine, and the ensuing humanitarian quagmire, my colleagues have called for the revival of AIGP, and I have been requested to lead the movement once again. I have accepted to do so.

I will soon be leading a delegation travelling to Moscow to meet Russian Government leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, to negotiate a humatarian passage of African and other nationalities currently trapped in Ukraine.

Zambia has had a very good working relationship with Russia. So, I am confident that a breakthrough will be achieved on securing a safe corridor out of Ukraine for civilians generally, but Africans in particular.

I have since appointed Dr. Lubinda Haabazoka as the International Relations Chairman for the movement, and he shall soon be updating the Nation on the AIGP-led initiative dubbed the “Ukraine Humanitarian Safe Corridor Initiative”.