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☆ U.S. slams 'meritless' Israel genocide suit, reigniting tensions with South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest legal body, will this week hear a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinian people during the assault on the Gaza Strip. Ambassador Reuben Brigety accused South Africa of running guns for Russia via a mystery merchant ship, a South African inquiry found no evidence of the alleged arms shipment, but ties between the two historical allies remained taut. "Over the past two years a succession of frustrations, including South Africa feeling it is being pushed on Russia-Ukraine, the U.S. Ambassador's statements on South African domestic security and on its relationship with Russia, and U.S. policy on China in Africa, have all contributed to the worsening of this relationship," Vandome said. 'Solidarity against apartheid oppression' South Africa's close relationship with Russia is based on a multitude of factors past and present.

Persons: John Kirby, Kevin Lamarque, Israel, Reuben Brigety, Cyril Ramaphosa, Chris Vandome, Vandome, Sergey Lavrov, Naledi Pandor Organizations: White, Reuters, U.S, Court of Justice, Palestinian, . National Security, Chatham, CNBC, South, Russian, African Foreign, Pretoria Ihsaan Haffejee, Anadolu Agency, Getty, United States Trade, Solidarity, Congress, ANC, Party Locations: Washington , U.S, South Africa, Gaza, Israel, Washington, Pretoria, Russia, China, African, Ukraine, Africa, U.S, Palestine, PRETORIA, Pretoria Ihsaan

South Africa has also been criticized for not publicly opposing Russia's war against Ukraine. Political Cartoons View All 1171 ImagesThe U.S. and South Africa announced in a joint statement that the forum will be held in Johannesburg, indicating a mending of relations following months of diplomatic tensions. South Africa is one of the biggest beneficiaries of AGOA, with exports to the U.S. through the act estimated at $3 billion in 2022. It also found that South Africa was not aware that the ship transporting military equipment ordered by the South African National Defense Force from the United Arab Emirates was a sanctioned Russian vessel. Leaders from various countries in sub-Saharan Africa and organizations are expected to attend the forum on Nov. 2-4.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Katherine Tai, Clayson Monyela, we’d, ” Monyela, Cyril Ramaphosa, R, Reuben Brigety Organizations: U.S ., Republican, Democratic, AGOA, Ukraine, South Africa, U.S . Trade, South Africa’s Foreign, Forum, SA, Twitter, South, U.S, South African National Defense Force, United Arab Locations: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, U.S, U.S . Africa, Russia, Russian, Cape Town, AGOA, Africa, Ukraine, United States, China, Johannesburg, United Arab Emirates, Saharan Africa

☆ South Africa says inquiry found no evidence of arms shipment to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks, as China's President Xi Jinping listens, at the Union Buildings ahead of the opening remarks of the BRICS emerging economies meeting, in Pretoria, South Africa August 22, 2023. The U.S. accusations raised questions over South Africa's professed stance of non-alignment and neutrality over Russia's war in Ukraine and concerns of possible Western sanctions. "The panel found that there was no evidence to support the claim that the ship transported weapons from South Africa destined for Russia," Ramaphosa said. He said he could not reveal details of the equipment offloaded because that could compromise important military operations and put South African soldiers' lives at risk. When the accusations were made, South African officials were quick to reject the claims, and Ramaphosa launched the independent inquiry led by a retired judge.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Alet Pretorius, Reuben Brigety, R, South Africa's, Ramaphosa, Olivia Kumwenda, Andrew Cawthorne, Ros Russell, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, South African National Defence Force, Thomson Locations: Pretoria, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Russian, Russia, U.S, Cape Town, Ukraine, South

☆ South Africa’s stance on Russia puzzles many. Could a mine in the desert hold answers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —To many observers, South Africa’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine is puzzling. This week, while many African leaders stay away, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg along with key ministers. So, why is South Africa putting this important relationship at risk? The US had long treated South Africa with kid gloves, he said, mindful of not risking an important relationship. Officials have denied that anything was loaded up, but the claim is now subject to a sealed South African government inquiry.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Viktor Vekselberg, Vladimir Putin, Byron Blunt, Chancellor House, Mogopodi Mokoena, Mokoena, UMK, ”, Karam Singh, Steven Gruzd, Reuben Brigety II, Brigety, Mikhail Metzel, Chancellor House’s, Putin, Yuri Trutnev, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Vekselberg, “, “ Mr Organizations: South Africa CNN, Russia, United Nations, Russian Navy, National Congress, Soviet Union, AmaBhungane, Investigative Journalism, CNN, Chancellor House Holdings, ANC, Mail & Guardian, Chancellor House, Corruption Watch, Chancellor, South African Institute of International Affairs, US, South, AP Mokoena, International Criminal Court, ICC, Getty, Treasury, FBI, Renova Group Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Ukraine, Africa, United States, Russian, Russia, St . Petersburg, States, St, Petersburg, Cape Town, African, Cape Town , South Africa, Mallorca, UMK, Cyprus, South

CNN —An African delegation on a peace mission to Ukraine headed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was greeted with explosions and forced to shelter in bunkers amid air strikes on the capital Kyiv. The African leaders are expected to travel to Russia Saturday to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin. “Russia’s missile attack took place just as African leaders arrived in the capital,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Friday. He has also come under fire after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, said South Africa supplied arms to Russia in December last year. He added that the future of this agreement would be discussed at his meeting with the African leaders on Saturday.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Andriy Yermak, “ Putin, ”, Joe Biden, Antonio Guterres, ” Yermak, ” Ramaphosa, Macky Sall, Hichilema, Azali Assoumani, Andriy Kostin, Valentyn Ogirenko, Andrzej Duda, Ramaphosa, Reuben Brigety, Vincent Magwenya, Putin, Moscow, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, South, UN, Russia, Ukraine's, Reuters, Polish Border Guard, United Nations General Assembly Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, ”, Senegal, Zambia, Comoros, Egypt, Congo, Uganda, Africa, Bucha, Poland’s, Warsaw, Poland, South Africa, America, Latin America

☆ South Africa to investigate US allegation of arms shipment to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on May 11 that he was confident that a Russian ship, which docked at a naval base in Simonstown in the Western Cape in December last year, took aboard weapons from South Africa. An allegation South Africa has since denied. The allegations have caused a diplomatic row between the U.S., South Africa and Russia and called into question South Africa's non-aligned position on the Ukraine conflict. South Africa says it is impartial and has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on the war. "The President decided to establish the enquiry because of the seriousness of the allegations, the extent of public interest and the impact of this matter on South Africa's international relations," said the statement.

☆ How the U.S. and South Africa ended up in a dispute over Russian gunrunning allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON, D.C - Sep. 16, 2022: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (L) in the Oval Office of the White House. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesRelations between the U.S. and South Africa frayed last week, when U.S. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), released a rather different interpretation of the conversation in its readout. RICHARDS BAY, South Africa - Feb. 22, 2023: Russian military frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" docked at the port in Richards Bay on February 22, 2023. South Africa drew criticism from the U.S. and Europe for holding 10 days of joint naval exercises with Russia and China.

☆ S.Africa's army chief visits Moscow for bilateral talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JOHANNESBURG, May 15 (Reuters) - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said on Monday that its army chief, Lawrence Mbatha, was in Moscow for a bilateral meeting, where he will visit Russian military academies and hold talks with officials. "It must be noted that South Africa has military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries in the continent and beyond," the SANDF said in a statement, adding that the meeting in Russia was planned well in advance. Brigety was summoned on Friday to meet South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor and he apologised "unreservedly" to the government and the people of South Africa, a foreign ministry statement said. "I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with Foreign Minister Pandor ... and correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks," Brigety said in a tweet that did not confirm whether he had apologised. South Africa, which has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions on Russia's war in Ukraine, says it is impartial.

☆ South Africa is 'actively non-aligned' on Ukraine war, says government
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JOHANNESBURG, May 13 (Reuters) - South Africa's presidential security advisor said on Saturday the country was "actively non-aligned" in Russia's war against Ukraine, after U.S. allegations it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on Thursday he was confident a Russian ship under U.S. sanctions had collected weapons from a base near Cape Town in December. Senior U.S. officials had "profound concerns" about South Africa not respecting its professed policy of non-alignment, he added. South Africa has abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning the war. A government statement late in the evening said: the ambassador "admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly to the government and the people of South Africa."

☆ Yellen to meet with donors, private sector on South Africa's energy transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends media briefing ahead of bilateral talks with South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana (not pictured), at the treasury offices in Pretoria, South Africa, January 26, 2023. The United States, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union backed South Africa's "Just Energy Transition Partnership," or JETP, in late 2021 with a combined $8.5 billion, but the total cost could be ten times that high. "The United States' commitment to the energy transition being 'just' is firm. That is why President Biden made an additional commitment to President Ramaphosa of $45 million in grant funding to support South Africa’s efforts," Yellen said. But President Cyril Ramaphosa's plan to transition South Africa away from coal and towards renewable energy has divided the governing African National Congress (ANC).

☆ Yellen says South Africa needs action to maintain energy transition momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends media briefing ahead of bilateral talks with South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana (not pictured), at the treasury offices in Pretoria, South Africa, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, Jan 27 (Reuters) - South Africa needs concrete action soon if it is to maintain momentum on an energy transition program backed by the United States and other countries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday after visiting the coal mining region of Mpumalanga. She expressed hope that Washington's focus on a just energy transition would underpin donor interest in backing the nearly $100 billion project aimed at supporting South Africa's gradual phasing out of fossil fuels. The United States, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union have backed South Africa's "Just Energy Transition Partnership" with a combined $8.5 billion, which Yellen called a "substantial down payment" designed to mobilise additional money. "An energy transition that is not just will simply not work.

☆ Yellen lauds Ford's 100-year history in South Africa, flags more investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoSILVERTON, South Africa, Jan 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday lauded the Ford Motor Co's 100-year history of assembling vehicles in South Africa and underscored Washington's resolve to expand trade ties with countries that it "can count on," including South Africa. About 600 U.S. companies operate in South Africa, employing about 220,000 people and generating revenue equivalent to about 10% of South Africa's entire gross domestic product, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said at the event. As in her comments to South Africa's finance minister earlier on Thursday, Yellen did not address South Africa's refusal to take sides over Russia's war in Ukraine or Washington's concern over military exercises it plans with China and Russia. That includes our many trusted trading partners on this continent — like South Africa."

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