During the Ukraine War, South Africa has drawn criticism for hosting Russian warships.
Despite Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, South Africa intends to conduct joint military exercises with the Chinese and Russian navy off its east coast next month (February 17–26). According to the opposition Democratic Alliance in South Africa, the ruling National Congress Party has effectively taken a side in Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.
The Operation Mosi drills, which stand for “smoke,” will take place off the coast of Durban from February 17 to 26.
South Africa and Russia have done joint naval drills before, but in 2019, they will happen at the same time as the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its ongoing war with Kiev.
In a U.N. vote last year, South Africa didn’t say that it was “neutral” about the crisis, but instead voted in favour of the Kremlin’s invasion.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s largest opposition party, claims that the African National Congress, or ANC, has taken sides by hosting Russian vessels.
The party’s acting defence minister is Kobus Marais.
Even though our government has said it is neutral, he continued, “This is just one of many times when the ANC has made it clear that they favour Russia and have done nothing but show that the government is not neutral in this matter.”
Marais says that by helping what he calls “the most disgusting autocracies of the world,” Nelson Mandela’s South Africa, which was once a shining example of democracy, could lose its place in the world.
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The largest invasion of Europe since World War II by Moscow has drawn widespread worldwide condemnation.
In addition to isolating Russia diplomatically and imposing severe penalties, Western governments have been arming Ukraine so it can defend itself.
Some nations, particularly those in the BRICS, have not abandoned the Kremlin over its invasion, despite the fact that many have.
Liubov Abravitova, the ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa, was direct with VOA in her opposition to the planned military exercises.
And about the military exercises between South Africa, Russia, and China, she stated, “Let me just ask you, what can the army that is killing innocent people, the army of rapists and murderers, provide to [the] South African army as added value?”
According to some analysts, a new cold war has broken out between authoritarian China, Russia, and Western democracies.
As both sides vie for influence on the strategically and politically significant continent of Africa, this battle is spreading there.
Siphiwe Dlamini, a spokesman for the South African Department of Defense, tells VOA that the joint drills will not be reconsidered.
“I’d want to reiterate that the exercise with the two nations in South Africa in February will take place. “Regarding the military-to-military ties between these two nations and numerous others, such as the United States, joint training exercises have been performed with each of those nations,” he stated.
Pretoria has kept up its efforts to strengthen its ties with Moscow despite criticism from Western governments and visits from American officials last year.
A Russian ship that had been sanctioned arrived in South Africa in December, according to officials, carrying ammunition that had been ordered before the Kremlin began its assault on Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be hosted by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, on Monday.
The BRICS summit will be held in South Africa in August, and Vladimir Putin has been asked to participate.
