In a development that has raised eyebrows, the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, has accused the country of clandestinely providing weapons to Russia.
South African media reports quote Brigety as saying that “a cargo ship docked secretly at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town for three days in December, during which weapons were allegedly loaded onto the vessel and transported to Russia.”
Ambassador Brigety labeled the alleged arming of Russia by South Africa as “extremely serious” and questioned the country’s claimed neutral stance in the conflict.
According to him, the docking of the cargo ship at the Simon’s Town Naval Base took place in early December 2022, adding that the U.S. was confident that weapons and ammunition were uploaded onto the vessel before it made its way back to Russia.
This revelation follows earlier concerns raised by an opposition party in South Africa regarding the presence of a mysterious Russian vessel at the Simon’s Town base.
The government has not publicly addressed these concerns.
While South Africa has repeatedly emphasized its neutral position and desire for a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian war, recent actions have cast doubt on its purported stance.
In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was hosted for talks in South Africa, providing him a platform to blame the West for the conflict.
Furthermore, the South African navy participated in joint drills with the Russian and Chinese navies off the country’s east coast, strengthening the perception of closer ties with Russia.
The decision to hold these naval drills in February, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, has raised serious concerns for the U.S., according to Ambassador Brigety.
While the South African armed forces maintain that the drills were planned years in advance, the timing has drawn criticism.
As the situation unfolds, these allegations challenge South Africa’s position as a key partner for the U.S. in Africa.
The implications of secretly arming Russia during the Ukrainian conflict are likely to have far-reaching consequences for diplomatic relations between the countries involved.
