U.S. Says South Africa Supplied Weapons, Ammunition to Russia

[former9thward]

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia with the help of a Russian cargo ship that surreptitiously docked at the country’s largest naval base in December, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa said in a briefing with local journalists on Thursday.

The comments from Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II were reported by local media outlets and confirmed by a person present at the briefing. They are bound to further complicate the relationship between the U.S. and South Africa, a country that has officially pledged neutrality on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and that Washington and Europe have tried to draw closer to the Western alliance against Moscow.

Now, the U.S. and its Western allies will have to decide whether to place sanctions on South African officials and entities involved in the alleged supply of potential war materials to Russia and risk alienating Africa’s most developed economy and one of its most established democracies.

“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon’s Town naval base between 6th to 8th December, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” Mr. Brigety, the ambassador, was quoted saying on online news site News24.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-says-south-africa-supplied-weapons-ammunition-to-russia-c2489d54

[marble falls]

1. Remember in days past when our press reported the US State Dept claims of Russian Arms in USAfrica?