us ambassador accuses south Africa of supplying russia with ammunition.
Written by AIGBOKHAEBHO OKHUELEIGBE on May 12, 2023
The United States ambassador to South Africa has accused the country’s government of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, escalating the friction between the two countries over the Russia-Ukraine war.
The American ambassador to South Africa Reuben E. Brigety II told reporters that Washington is confident a Russian ship picked up a load of weapons and ammunition near Cape Town in December.
She said:
We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I will bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion.. The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,.
In the wake of the allegations, the South African government announced the establishment of an independent inquiry led by a retired judge, a spokesman for the president’s office said.
But during an exchange with lawmakers in Parliament on Thursday, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa said only that the matter regarding the Lady R “is being looked into”.
Vincent Magwenya, the President’s Spokesperson criticized the ambassador’s statement, saying that the two nations had agreed that an investigation into what happened with the Lady R would be allowed to run its course and that U.S. intelligence would provide any evidence it had.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides, and instigated Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
While the United States has called on its allies to condemn and isolate Russia, for the invasion, South Africa has maintained claims of neutrality citing the support that the African National Congress, the governing party, received from the Soviet Union in the long fight against apartheid.
