The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Worse suspicion: is this country secretly supplying weapons to Russia?

2023-06-04T09:50:28.101Z

Highlights: U.S. ambassador to South Africa accused the government there of secretly supplying weapons to Russia. The government in Pretoria denies this – and issued a warning to the ambassador. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an independent investigation to investigate the allegations. The South African government, which is subject to strict restrictions on the export of military equipment, officially stressed that it did not approve the export to Russia of weapons. The BRICS are now economically stronger than the G7. The African peacekeeping mission is probably too early to predict what the outcome will be.



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa © John Ochieng/IMAGO

The US ambassador to South Africa accused the government there of secretly supplying weapons to Russia. The government in Pretoria denies this – and issued a warning.

This analysis is IPPEN. MEDIA in the course of a cooperation with the Africa.Table Professional Briefing – it was first published by Africa.Table on 30 May 2023.

Reuben Brigety, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, has sharply attacked the country. It was about the Russian freighter "Lady R", which departed from the naval base Simon's Town near Cape Town in December last year. "We are convinced that weapons were loaded onto this ship," the ambassador said. "I would bet my life on the accuracy of this assessment." After this statement, the already badly battered South African rand sank to its lowest level in three years.

The government in Pretoria said it was "disappointed" and warned that such accusations would "undermine" cooperation between the two countries. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an independent investigation to investigate the allegations, as the US embassy had not provided any evidence. The Foreign Ministry in Pretoria summoned Ambassador Brigety, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor demanded an "unconditional apology" from the ambassador. He then rowed back: He had corrected all the misimpressions caused by his "public statements."

Newsletter from Table.Media

Get 30 days of free access to further exclusive information from the Table.Media Professional Briefings – the decisive factor for the decision-makers in business, science, politics, administration and NGOs.

South Africa's role in the Ukraine war: Strict export regulations for military equipment

Russia also denied that weapons had been supplied. The South African government, which is subject to strict restrictions on the export of military equipment, officially stressed that it did not approve the export of weapons to Russia. Defence Minister Thandi Modise had stated that the "Lady R" had on board an ammunition shipment for a special unit of the South African armed forces, which had been ordered before the Ukraine war. All this, according to Guy Lamb, an expert on arms control at Stellenbosch University, indicates that the US ambassador's accusations are "implausible".

In Washington, the State Department tried to appease: "Our relationship with South Africa remains strong. We remain committed to the positive agenda of our bilateral relations," a ministry spokesman said. The two governments would continue to work closely together on a range of issues, including health, climate and trade. The U.S. is South Africa's second most important bilateral trading partner after China.

Nevertheless, Ambassador Brigety's words made waves. German Foreign Minister Baerbock said she was "very concerned" and her Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg wondered why the EU could not convince some states of its view of the Russian war.

A test to determine the South African position?

Was this a calculated provocation by the ambassador or the government in Washington to test South Africa's response and find out to what extent Pretoria is still bowing to US pressure? Or is the initiative already an expression of frustration that the country on the Cape is more likely to side with its BRICS partners, the association of emerging economies that includes Russia, South Africa, Brazil, China, and India? The BRICS are now economically stronger than the G7.

0

Also Read

Poll quake with AfD in 2nd place: Now the chancellor provides an explanation

READ

After victory in Bakhmut: Wagner mercenaries and Russia's soldiers advance along highways

READ

Merz's broken promise: "The so-called center opens the space to the right"

READ

CDU rejects proposal by CSU deputy on EU sea rescue

READ

Ukraine reports devastating "blow" against Russian occupiers – 500 dead and injured

READ

Fancy a voyage of discovery?

My Area

In any case, President Ramaphosa went on the offensive and announced a peacekeeping mission in the Ukraine war together with several other African heads of government. Ramaphosa had previously spoken on the phone first with Russian President Vladimir Putin, then also with Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky. He had warned Ramaphosa: "Whoever helps the attacker with weapons becomes an accomplice with all the consequences."

On the sidelines of a state visit by the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, Ramaphosa stated: "We hope for intensive talks with the two heads of state, and they have stated that they are open to these talks with us. We'll see where the discussions lead when they start. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict what the outcome will be and what impact it will have on the BRICS countries."

Ukraine war: The African peacekeeping mission is probably too early

The other countries in the African mediation mission are Egypt, Congo-Brazzaville, Zambia, Senegal and Uganda. "At the heart of our talks is the search for a peaceful solution to the devastating conflict in Ukraine," Ramaphosa said.

Nevertheless, experts are skeptical whether such a mission will come at the right time. "The conflict in Ukraine is far from ripe for intervention by others," says Jakkie Cilliers, chairman of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. If anyone could put pressure on Russia, it would be China. "But we're still one or two years away from that," says Cilliers. The African mediators are more realistic: they do not see themselves competing with the peace efforts of the Chinese, but as complementarity within a group of like-minded people. This annoys the West. This is one of the reasons why the G7 countries tried to play China off against the other emerging countries at their summit in Japan. However, it didn't bring much. (By Andreas Sieren)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-06-04

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-02-09T01:02:52.674Z
Life/Entertain 2024-02-09T06:13:47.068Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.