CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the nation Thursday of offering weapons and ammunition to Russia for its battle in Ukraine through a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned firm that docked secretly at a naval base close to town of Cape City in December.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned an investigation into the go to by a Russian vessel named Woman R to his nation’s principal naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the assistance of U.S. intelligence companies earlier than Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a information convention within the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.
Brigety mentioned the U.S. was sure that navy gear was loaded onto the Woman R on the Simon’s City naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 after which transported to Russia. He mentioned it introduced into query South Africa’s supposed impartial stance on the battle in Ukraine and its requires the battle to finish.
“The arming of the Russians is extraordinarily critical and we don’t take into account this situation to be resolved,” Brigety mentioned in feedback reported by a number of South African information retailers.
If South Africa is discovered to be giving Russia navy assist, it threatens to fracture the connection between america and a key associate in Africa. Regardless of South Africa’s impartial stance on the battle in Ukraine, the Biden Administration hoped it might nonetheless be a key buffer in opposition to rising Russian and Chinese language affect on the continent.
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Whereas Ramaphosa’s workplace mentioned in an announcement later Thursday that there was presently “no proof” to assist allegations that arms had been loaded onto the Woman R, The Related Press established that the vessel is tied to an organization that was sanctioned final yr by the U.S. for being concerned in transporting navy gear for the Russian authorities.
The information of Brigety’s feedback broke whereas Ramaphosa was in Cape City answering questions on different issues in Parliament. When the chief of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, requested concerning the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that “the matter is being regarded into, and in time we will talk about it.”
Ramaphosa declined to remark additional, citing the necessity for the investigation to play out.
Steenhuisen requested the president if South Africa was “actively arming Russian troopers who’re murdering and maiming harmless folks?”
Ammunition provides have change into an issue for Russia within the battle. The chief of Russian navy firm Wagner complained final week about his mercenary troopers in Ukraine allegedly coping with dire shortages.
Ramaphosa’s workplace acknowledged in its assertion that the Woman R docked in South Africa, however didn’t say when, the place or for what purpose. The assertion additionally criticized the American ambassador for going public.
Data reviewed by the AP present the Woman R was bought by a Russian firm, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In Might 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several other vessels it alleges are managed by the corporate, together with the Woman R, for aiding the Russian battle effort. The corporate then modified its title to MG-Flot LLC, which can also be listed as the present proprietor of the Woman R.
Final month, The Wall Road Journal reported that one other ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Center Jap officers.
The AP has additionally independently confirmed that the Woman R docked on the Simon’s City naval base throughout the timeframe Brigety cited.
MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite tv for pc transponder information from ships, tracked the Woman R off the South African coast in early December, however the sign was misplaced on Dec. 5. Ships are required by worldwide regulation to maintain their transponders on whereas at sea. Smugglers usually flip them off to cover their actions.
Satellite tv for pc imagery obtained by AP reveals a ship the identical size, shade and format because the Woman R docked on the naval base the next day and remained there by means of Dec. 8. AP additionally obtained photographs of the ship on the naval base, the title Woman R clearly seen on its stern in each English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder sign popped again up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.
Steenhuisen’s opposition social gathering had beforehand raised questions over the looks of a “thriller” Russian vessel in Simon’s City. In late December, South African Protection Minister Thandi Modise mentioned the ship was dealing with an “previous order” for ammunition, and arms had been offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.
The South African authorities has said quite a few occasions it’s impartial on the battle in Ukraine and needs the battle resolved peacefully by means of diplomacy however latest shows of its closeness to Russia opened Africa’s most developed nation to accusations that it has successfully taken Russia’s aspect.
South Africa hosted Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform in charge the West for the battle in Ukraine.
Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese language navies to carry out drills off its east coast. The Russian navy introduced its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one among its navy’s flagship vessels. The South African navy took half within the drills and mentioned they might “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
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South Africa additionally faces a diplomatic dilemma over a doable go to this yr by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s the topic of an Worldwide Legal Courtroom arrest warrant for alleged battle crimes involving the abductions of youngsters from Ukraine. Putin is because of go to South Africa in August for a gathering of leaders of the BRICS financial bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
South Africa is a signatory to the worldwide courtroom based mostly in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The federal government indicated it might not detain the Russian chief and threatened to depart the ICC as an alternative. Ramaphosa’s workplace launched an announcement final month backtracking on the menace.
—AP author Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP world investigative reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.
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