Almost 120 journalists, South African police officers and soldiers have finally disembarked from their plane at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport in Poland after a more than 24-hour ordeal where they were denied entry into Poland.
Africa’s peace mission on Russia and Ukraine conflict:
Warsaw authorities had expressed concern about the weapons and ammunition that was accompanying the soldiers and police who were meant to protect the president on his mission to Kyiv in Ukraine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is in the region as part of an African initiative to try and broker peace after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Presidency says despite almost 100 security personnel accompanying President Cyril Ramaphosa on his African Peace Mission to Ukraine and Russia being denied entry in Poland, his safety is not compromised.
Dozens of the SAPS and SANDF members and a group of local journalists were delayed for more than a day, on a separate aircraft from the president at the Warsaw Chopin Airport.
The Polish authority said they could not allow the group entry with weapons and ammunition that are illegal in their country.
Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya says in as much as it was regrettable, the president is safe wherever he is.
