South Africa requests meeting with US envoy over Russia arms accusation
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There are no details about the specific types of weapons South Africa is said to be supplying to Russia.
PHOTO: AFP
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JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s government has requested a meeting with US Ambassador Reuben Brigety after he publicly accused the country of supplying arms to Russia.
The request for the meeting was confirmed by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni by phone on Friday.
South Africa’s foreign minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, will hold talks on Friday afternoon with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to the minister’s spokesman.
The row caused the rand to slump to its weakest level on record against the dollar and yields on government bond to soar on Friday, amid investor concern that a diplomatic row may put trade worth billions of dollars at risk.
Mr Brigety told a media briefing that the United States was “confident” weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December.
“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved, and we would like SA to (start) practising its non-alignment policy,” Mr Brigety was quoted as saying, referring to South Africa. He did not specify what weapons the US believed had been collected.
The US embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the remarks, which were confirmed to Agence France-Presse by a source at the meeting.
Hours later, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an inquiry into the allegations.
While US intelligence had agreed to provide evidence of the shipment, none has been provided so far, the South African presidency said in a statement.
Mr Ramaphosa’s office said it was disappointed about the ambassador’s remarks, which it said undermined the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised recent engagements between officials from the two governments.
The independent inquiry into the allegations will be led by a retired judge, it said.
South Africa has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine ,
The country – an African powerhouse that also wields moral clout for its victory over apartheid – says it wants to stay neutral, and champions dialogue as the means to end the conflict.
But earlier in 2023, it held a controversial joint military exercise with Russia and China,
The ambassador appeared to refer to a previously known episode when the Lady R, a cargo vessel under Western sanctions flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa’s largest naval base.
“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon’s Town naval base between Dec 6 and Dec 8, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” the envoy said. BLOOMBERG, AFP
