'Russia is always on Africa's side' - Vladimir Putin assures AU president

Sall, who is President of the African Union along with AU Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, held talks with Putin over the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Africa.

The AFP news agency quotes the Senegal president as drawing Putin's attention to, in his words: "become aware that our countries, even if they are far from the theatre [of action], are victims on an economic level."

Sall's visit was upon an official invitation extended by the Russian presidency.

Aside raising the impact of the conflict on African economies, the AU was also exploring the possibility of leading a mediation between the warring factions.

In a release prior to the meeting, the Senegal presidency noted: "Another topic of vital importance for Africa the consequences of the conflict for the continent, particularly the rising cost of hydrocarbons and difficulty to access wheat, largely imported from Ukraine and Russia."