U.S. ambassador accuses South Africa of arming Russia

The US ambassador to South Africa accused the country on Thursday of supplying weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that hid at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December.

Ambassador Reuben Brigety said that the US is “sure” that the weapons were loaded on a boat at the Simon Town naval base, between December 6 and 8, and then transported to Russia, according to reports carried by several South African news outlets, after a conference news in the capital, Pretoria.

Brigety said Russia’s allegations were “very serious” and questioned South Africa’s neutrality in the war.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions in Parliament when news of Brigety’s comments broke. When lawmakers asked about the weapons, the president replied that “the matter is being studied, and in time we will be able to talk about it.”

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for an investigation.

The leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked the president if South Africa “actively supports Russian soldiers who kill and maim innocent people?”

Steenhuisen identified the vessel as the Lady R, a Russian-flagged cargo ship.

Steenhuisen’s party, the Democratic Alliance, questioned earlier this year the “mystery” of the Russian ship stopping at the Simon’s Town base.

At the time, the South African government did not comment publicly on the matter, saying it needed to gather information.

In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship appeared to be handling an “old order” for ammunition, and she pointed out that the weapons were being unloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The government of South Africa, the main partner for the US in Africa, has repeatedly stated that it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict to be resolved peacefully.

But the new look at Russia’s closeness has opened Africa’s most advanced country to accusations that it has effectively captured Russia.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party, led by Ramaphosa, sent a delegation to Moscow last month and talked about strengthening ties with Russia, further straining the country’s relationship with the US.

South Africa also hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in January, about a month after an alleged visit by Lady R, giving them a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Military exercises with Russia, China

A few weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to conduct exercises off its east coast.

The Russian navy brought the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, one of its main ships. The South African navy also took part in the exercise and characterized it as an exercise that “will strengthen the relationship that has developed between South Africa, Russia and China.”

South Africa’s decision to hold the naval exercise in February, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, caused “serious concern” for the US, Brigety was quoted as saying on Thursday.

At the time of the exercise, South Africa’s armed forces said it had been planned years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

South Africa is also facing a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abduction of children from Ukraine.

Putin will visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international war crimes tribunal and therefore should arrest Putin. But the government has said it will not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC.