Malawi President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has pleaded with Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdrawal Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

President Chakwera, who is also Chairperson for Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), made the plea in a statement posted on his official facebook page.

In the statement Chakwera described the declaration and acts of war by Russia against Ukraine as a disturbing and destabilizing development.

“Since Malawi’s national anthem is a prayer petitioning God for peace over our land, we pray for peace for the people of Russia and Ukraine and their lands. We also call on the Russian Government to use its might and means to find a peaceful resolution to its grievances against Ukraine.

“We do this in recognition of the fact that Malawi’s peaceful posture towards other nations involves promoting peace between all nations.

“We also do this as a nation that has maintained peaceful relations with its neighbors throughout its history, as a peaceful regional leader in Southern Africa, and as a peacemaking member of the UN Human Rights Council,” reads the statement

On Thursday, African Union condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for an “immediate ceasefire”, saying the situation risked escalating into “a planetary conflict”.

The bloc’s current chair, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, said in a joint statement they were “extremely concerned” by the invasion.

They called on Russia to “respect international law, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, killing dozens as airstrikes hit military installations and ground forces moved in from the north, south and east.

The AU leaders said the “very serious and dangerous situation” should be resolved via “political negotiations” overseen by the United Nations.

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