Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine saying peace is fragile and it must be jealously guarded at all times.

Writing on Twitter, Chamisa said, the sovereignty of every state, regardless of size or any other factor, should be respected.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday 24 February 2022 with explosions heard soon after in the capital and other parts of the country.

Chamisa said: “Today the world woke up to grave news of war in Ukraine.This is a sad day for humanity.War is bloodshed, misery & great suffering. In all this, women, children &ordinary citizens are the most vulnerable victims. Peace is fragile and it must be jealously guarded at all times.”

He added that It’s utterly uncalled for to start a war when the world is battling a deadly pandemic & climate change.

“Humanity has made great progress over the decades,but we are reminded once again of our capacity for self destruction.Its not as if the world has a shortage of problems.

“Only yesterday, the African Union championed the theme of Silencing the Guns.The message could not be more appropriate at this time.We urge all the actors to give dialogue a chance. After all, guns and missiles are ultimately silenced by dialogue and diplomacy.

Chamisa said the crisis highlights that it is absolutely vital to respect and honour the sovereignty of every nation state regardless of size or any other factor.

“We subscribe to and support the principles of territorial sovereignty, equality of states, non-intervention and state consent.”