MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2023) A pool of journalists accompanying South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on his visit to Poland and Ukraine as part of the African peace mission has been stuck in a plane which still remains in the Polish capital of Warsaw for the second day in a row due to alleged weapons transportation, while the South African leader already arrived in Ukraine, Amanda Khoza, Sunday Times presidency correspondent, said on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Khoza tweeted that the journalists on board the plane had been asked whether they wanted to get off the aircraft or remain on board with the South African security personnel, because if they left the plane, they would "not be allowed to get back on."
"#StuckInthePlane: At this stage, we all just want to shower and brush our teeth, honestly. We've spent the night on the plane. This morning we handed over our passports, even though we are not sure what's the next step. What a horrible experience," Khoza tweeted.
The journalist thanked the cabin crew for remaining on board and bringing food from the local Burger King as well as "trying their best to manage this situation."
Later in the day, Khoza tweeted that the necessary clearance to leave Warsaw to Rzeszow had been obtained and the aircraft was preparing to leave, however, a few hours later she said that the reporters, who still were not allowed to leave the plane for more than 24 hours, had been informed that the aircraft would not leave Warsaw.
"We have just been told that we are no longer leaving Warsaw, Poland. Instead, we have been told that we need to disembark and head to customs, make accommodation arrangements. There will be personnel that remains with the cargo. It appears as though local authorities have refused to allow us to leave the Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland," the correspondent tweeted.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa's guards and the pool of journalists got stuck at the airport for a day. The head of the South African president's security service, Major General Wally Rhoode, accused Poland of trying to disrupt the peace mission in Ukraine, since Ramaphosa was set to arrive in Kiev after his visit to Warsaw.
The Polish border guard said that the South African leader's security personnel voluntarily stayed on the plane in Warsaw, as they did not have permission for weapons transportation. The Polish border authority did not mention journalists in its statement. The reporters said that they were also not allowed to leave the plane at the airport in Warsaw, while the South African president already arrived in Ukraine as part of the African peace mission.
On May 16, Ramaphosa said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on behalf of African countries, and presented them a peace initiative from Zambia, Senegal, the Congo, Uganda, Egypt and South Africa. Ramaphosa said that both presidents agreed to receive the mission of leaders of African nations with their peace initiative on the conflict.
On June 5, the Brazzaville Foundation, one of the organizers of the African peace initiative, said that the African leaders would meet with Zelenskyy in Kiev on June 16 and with Putin in St. Petersburg on June 17.
