Despite claiming to be impartial in the conflict in Ukraine, the US ambassador to South Africa has accused the nation of providing arms to Russia.
According to Reuben Brigety, a Russian ship carrying weapons and ammunition docked in Cape Town in December.
The office of President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed disappointment over the allegations and stated that no proof had been shown to back them up.
Claims of neutrality in the invasion of Ukraine have been upheld by the nation.
At a media event on Thursday in Pretoria, Mr. Brigety claimed that Washington has reservations about the nation’s publicly stated non-alignment stance on the issue.
He made reference to a cargo ship that he was “confident” had guns and ammunition on board “as it made its way back to Russia” when it docked at the Simon’s Town naval facility between December 6 and December 8 of last year.
At the time, the Lady R’s presence had seemed odd and some local politicians had expressed concerns.
Mr. Brigety made the devastating claim that “the arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,” apparently catching South Africa’s officials off guard.
Following the accusations, the South African government announced the creation of an impartial investigation headed by a retired judge, according to a spokesman for the president’s office.
The persistent warm relationship between South Africa and Russia has drawn criticism from the US for months.
Regarding South Africa’s involvement in military drills with Russia and China on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, it also expressed concern.
Opposition figures denounced the naval drills, which took place over a 10-day period in February, for endorsing the Russian invasion.
The South African government denied that the war simulations were provocatively scheduled to coincide with the anniversary and claimed that the country regularly hosts comparable drills with other countries, including France and the US.
Previously, South Africa voted against the invasion in a UN vote. It also declined to censure Russia alongside the US and Europe.
President Ramaphosa responded to a question from opposition leader John Steenhuisen by telling parliament on Thursday that the remarks made by the US ambassador would be investigated.
The president requested cooperation from the opposition parties, saying, “In time we will be able to speak about it.”
The US State Department hasn’t responded to the allegations yet.
If they are accurate, they undermine South Africa’s claim of neutrality and some might even allege it is involved in Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine.
One foreign relations specialist observed, “If South African bullets are found on Ukraine bodies, that is not a position we would want to be in.”
The information around the arms stockpile is still sketchy. It is unclear if a state-owned or a South African-based armaments industry would have provided the guns.
In any case, this is not encouraging for South Africa’s relations with other countries, particularly with the US, one of its main trading partners.
In light of these allegations, South Africa’s main concern is the perception that the nation is not only non-aligned but has also chosen to be a “soft ally” to Russia at a time when some Western nations view Russia as an aggressor responsible for human rights violations.
Due to its membership in the Brics alliance, which includes some of the largest growing economies in the world, including China, Brazil, and India, South Africa has modern-day links with Russia.
Additionally, Russia and the African National Congress (ANC), the nation’s ruling party, have a history of cooperation.
In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin, posing a diplomatic conundrum for South Africa.
He is charged with war crimes in Ukraine, including kidnapping and forcible deportation.
In August, Mr. Putin was scheduled to attend a Brics conference in South Africa, but the warrant required Pretoria to detain him upon his arrival.
In response, Mr. Ramaphosa announced last month that the ANC had decided that South Africa should leave the ICC, but he then changed his mind, blaming a “error” in communications, according to his office.
South Africa once had a booming arms trade, selling weapons to nations all over the continent. The extent of that military might up to this point is unknown.
The US ambassador’s accusation has not been well received by South African authorities, who maintain that the situation should have been handled diplomatically.
Many South Africans would be expecting the US to offer proof of its allegation, as it is not sufficient for the envoy to merely assert the existence of the intelligence.
This is a hangover from the US’s earlier accusations of WMDs, which prompted the war of Iraq a few years ago.
