Yuri Kobzar14:07, 05/28/23

According to the US, South Africa sold a cargo of weapons to a Russian ship last December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a commission to investigate reports of possible arms exports from the African country to Russia. This was reported by the press service of the President of South Africa .

In early May, the US ambassador to that country said that a Russian ship, which docked last December at the Simonstown naval base in the Western Cape, had taken on board weapons from South Africa. The country’s authorities deny the sale of weapons, but now they decided to check the circumstances of the ship’s mooring.

“Through this investigation, the government is seeking to establish the circumstances that led to the ship’s berthing and alleged loading of cargo, and the departure of the cargo ship Lady R from Simonstown between December 6 and 9, 2022,” the statement said.

According to Reuters , accusations of arms sales to the Russians caused a diplomatic scandal between the US and South Africa, and also called into question the neutrality declared by the African country in the Ukrainian-Russian war.

A commission appointed by the President of South Africa must identify persons who knew about the arrival of the cargo ship and the nature of the cargo. Also, the commission must check whether “constitutional, legal or other obligations in connection with the arrival of the cargo ship have been observed.”

The position of South Africa on the war in Ukraine

According to the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa , South Africa seeks to avoid being drawn into a “conflict” between Ukraine and Russia, even if it faces punishment for neutrality. He claims that his country is allegedly threatened with sanctions for pursuing an “independent foreign policy.”

Recently it became known that South Africa, together with five other African countries, intend to officially propose to Ukraine to agree to start negotiations with Russia without the preliminary withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

(C)UNIAN 2023