InsiderBLM Africa
Despite claiming to be neutral in the Ukraine war, the US envoy to South Africa accused the nation on Thursday of secretly providing arms to Russia, according to local media.
Reuben Brigety, the ambassador, stated at a press conference that the US was “confident” that weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter that had docked at a naval base in Cape Town in December.
Brigety was quoted as saying, “The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, we do not consider this issue to be resolved, and we would like SA to [start] practicing its non-alignment policy.”
A source at the meeting confirmed the comments to AFP, but the US embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The invasion of Ukraine has largely isolated Moscow on the international stage because South Africa has refused to denounce it.
The nation, an African powerhouse with moral clout due to its victory over apartheid, declares its desire to remain neutral and supports dialogue as a means of resolving the conflict.
However, it engaged in a contentious joint military exercise with China and Russia earlier this year, which some saw as evidence of a pro-Kremlin slant.
The ambassador seemed to be alluding to a well-known incident in which the Lady R, a cargo ship subject to western sanctions and flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa’s main naval base.
The envoy said, “Among the things we noted was the cargo ship’s docking in the Simon’s Town naval base between December 6 and December 8 of 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel there as it made its way back to Russia.
