South Africa’s government summoned US Ambassador Reuben Brigety after he publicly accused Pretoria of supplying weapons to Russia, while its foreign minister intends to raise the matter with her American counterpart.
(Bloomberg) — South Africa’s government summoned US Ambassador Reuben Brigety after he publicly accused Pretoria of supplying weapons to Russia, while its foreign minister intends to raise the matter with her American counterpart.
A diplomatic demarche will be issued to Brigety, and International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor will discuss the allegations with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday afternoon, Pandor’s spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said on Twitter.
On Thursday, Brigety told journalists that armaments were collected by a Russian cargo ship, the Lady R, from the Simon’s Town naval base in Cape Town in December. South Africa’s presidency said the comments were “disappointing” and no evidence had been produced to back up the claim, but agreed to institute an independent investigation.
The row caused the rand to slump to its weakest level on record against the dollar and yields on government bonds to soar on Friday, amid investor concern that any escalation in the diplomatic row may put trade worth billions of dollars at risk.
Read more: Rand Tumbles as US Says South Africa Supplied Arms to Russia
Relations between South Africa and the US have soured over Pretoria’s insistence that it’s taken a non-aligned stance toward Russia’s war in Ukraine, and any reprimand to the ambassador would up the ante.
“The latest remarks from Brigety indicates that diplomatic efforts to deescalate tensions around South Africa’s ties with Russia have failed,” risk advisers Eurasia Group said in a note to clients. “Yet despite violating US restrictions on arming Russia and dealing with a sanctioned Russia vessel, sanctions against South Africa are unlikely in the short term, though additional violations could change this outlook.”
South African Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that Brigety’s actions didn’t amount to a diplomatic altercation.
“The undiplomatic conduct of the US ambassador should not create the impression that there is a fallout,” she said. “He chooses to play in a manner that is unbecoming, to the detriment of the US.”
Putin Dilemma
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa at Pretoria’s initiative and discussed current issues pertaining to the “strategic partnership” between the two nations, the Kremlin said in a statement Friday. The two leaders also noted “the importance of continuing close coordination” ahead of a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July and a BRICS summit that South Africa will host in August, it said.
South Africa is wrestling with a dilemma over Putin’s participation at the meeting of the economic bloc after the International Criminal Court in March issued an arrest warrant for the Kremlin leader for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. As a signatory to the court, it would be obliged to detain Putin if he arrives in South Africa.
The Kremlin statement made no mention of the controversy over Brigety’s remarks.
Under South African law, all weapons exports must be reported to the National Conventional Arms Control Committee. The sale of arms to “countries involved in the systematic violation or suppression of humanitarian rights and fundamental freedoms” is prohibited, and should be avoided with countries involved in armed conflict.
‘No Record’
“The National Conventional Arms Control Committee has no record of an approved arms sale by the state to Russia related to the period/incident in question,” Monyela said. “We therefore welcome the inquiry established by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the facts and role players. If any crimes were committed, the law will take its course.”
The judicial inquiry ordered by Ramaphosa will consider whether South Africa’s defense department was “misled by officials” about the contents of the Russian vessel, Ntshavheni said.
European diplomats contacted by Bloomberg said that while they weren’t given warning of Brigety’s comments, they came as no surprise as the shipment has been the subject of unanswered queries made by diplomats to the South African government for months.
The US ambassador’s comments were almost certainly sanctioned by Washington DC, they said, and while they don’t expect South Africa to face immediate economic consequences — at least from the European Union — the furor serves as a shot across the bows to remind South Africa that its decisions have consequences, they said.
The diplomats noted that South Africa’s ruling party has frequently provoked the US in recent months, and that while Pretoria has the right to choose its allies, so does America. They asked not to be identified as their countries haven’t commented publicly on the dispute.
–With assistance from Tony Halpin, Paul Burkhardt and Monique Vanek.
(Updates with talks between South African, Russian leaders in first paragraph below Putin Dilemma subheadline.)
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