The president's speech comes nearly 10 weeks after he first asked to address the continental body. A second request was also rebuffed.

On Monday, Zelensky also said the global grain crisis would last as long as Russia's "colonial war", AFP reports.

Sharing the news of the address, the chairperson of the AU commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, tweeted that the African Union has reiterated the "urgent need for dialogue to end the conflict".

https://twitter.com/AUC_MoussaFaki/status/1538874008745259009?s=20&t=VRozm0MEQtj4XeR-FkZcIQ

Much of the world has supported Ukraine in the face of the Russian advance, but diplomatically Africa has been divided.

In March, 17 African countries abstained in a UN vote to condemn the invasion and calling for the immediate withdrawal of its forces. Eritrea was one of only five countries in the world which voted against Russian sanctions.

The continent is also feeling the effect of rising wheat prices which have been partly caused by the conflict.

On a recent visit to Russia, Senegal's President Macky Sall said African countries were innocent victims of the war. He appealed to Ukraine and Russia to help ease their suffering.

In response to Monday's address, President Sall said that "Africa remains committed to respecting the rules of international law, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and freedom of trade."