South Africa scolds U.S. ambassador over Russian arms claim
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South Africa on Friday rebuked the U.S. ambassador in Pretoria over his suggestion that the government of President Cyril Ramaphosa had supplied weapons to Russia over the winter, deepening strains between Washington and an important African partner over the war in Ukraine. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The country’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it had summoned Reuben E. Brigety II, who has served as ambassador in Pretoria since 2022, to issue a démarche, or verbal message, expressing the government’s “utter displeasure with his conduct and statements” made a day prior.
A DIRCO spokesman tweeted a photo showing the country’s top diplomat, Naledi Pandor, sitting with Brigety, a stern expression on her face. The apparent dressing down followed local media reports that Brigety, in comments to journalists this week, said that South Africa had placed weapons and ammunition onto a Russian ship that docked at a naval base in December.
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“We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion,” Brigety said, according to reports from the event. “Given that, the deviation from South Africa’s policy of nonalignment by the actions of Dec. 6 through 8 are inexplicable,” he was reported as saying. He provided no evidence to support the claim.
The meeting between USA Ambassador to South Africa @ReubenBrigety and @DIRCO_ZA
took place this afternoon. We conveyed our displeasure with his conduct and he admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly. The relations between the USA & South Africa are cordial,… pic.twitter.com/5pBxTgyI82 — Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) May 12, 2023
The DIRCO statement said Brigety had “admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly to the government and the people of South Africa.” Ramaphosa’s government has said it is investigating what occurred when the Russian ship, the Lady R, docked near Cape Town in early December.
In a message on Twitter posted late Friday, Brigety said he was grateful for the chance to speak with Pandor and “correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks.”
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Brigety’s statement did not deny any specific part of his reported allegation, and left unanswered whether the purported information he referenced Thursday indicated that the alleged arms transfer to Russia was done with the knowledge or participation of South Africa’s government.
“In our conversation, I reaffirmed the strong partnership between our two countries & the important agenda our presidents have given us,” he added.
I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with Foreign Minister Pandor this evening and correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks. In our conversation, I re-affirmed the strong partnership between our two countries & the important agenda our Presidents have given us. — Ambassador Reuben Brigety (@USAmbRSA) May 12, 2023
The flap highlights the ongoing tensions between the United States and some of its most influential partners in the developing world, which have resisted Washington’s attempt to enlist them in its campaign to isolate President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
While President Biden has touted his construction of a mostly European coalition that has provided arms to Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Russia, developing countries including Brazil, India and South Africa have cited economic ties with Moscow or a determination to stay out of distant conflicts as reasons for their positions.
The State Department did not provide an immediate response to the démarche, though Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with Pandor on Friday. A department spokesperson on Thursday said the Biden administration was concerned by the ship incident. The administration has already slapped sanctions on Iran for allegedly supplying arms to Russia for Ukraine and warned China against doing the same.
South Africa, which has stressed the conflict should be resolved peacefully but declined to condemn Russia’s invasion, has long-standing ties with Moscow. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union supported the now-ruling African National Congress (ANC) as it battled the apartheid government.
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The reprimand of Brigety came the same day that Rampahosa spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a Kremlin readout of the call.
The two countries underscored the importance of “continuing close coordination” between Russia and South Africa as they prepare for a series of major meetings this year, the readout said.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula on Friday said that while South Africa’s ANC government had positive ties with the United States, the ANC as a party differed with Washington and rejected its position on Russia.
“We are very clear on Ukraine-Russia situation. We are nonpartisan and nobody is going to [change our position on this matter],” he said, according to South African media.
Wroughton reported from Cape Town. Robyn Dixon contributed to this report from Riga, Latvia.
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Source: The Washington Post
