The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the nation of secretly supplying Russia with weapons, a claim that drew a rebuke from Pretoria.
US Ambassador Reuben Brigety said he knew that a Russian ship that docked in South Africa in December was loaded with weapons but did not provide evidence for the claim.
“We are confident that weapons were loaded on to that vessel and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion,” Brigety said. “The arming of Russia by South Africa … is fundamentally unacceptable.”
The accusation is sure to strain ties with South Africa as the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa has said it was “disappointing” Brigety made the charge while an investigation was ongoing.
Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for Ramaphosa, said the US and South Africa had agreed to let an investigation into the Russian ship run its course and that US intelligence could provide what evidence it had.
“It is therefore disappointing that the US Ambassador has adopted a counterproductive public posture that undermines the understanding reached on the matter,” Magwenya said.
South Africa’s neutral stance has angered the US as Pretoria has not gone along with sanctions against Russia. South Africa also recently conducted joint military exercises with Russia and China.
What country not in hock to the US would believe
any word that a US diplomat would speak based on past experience?
There are no US diplomats , just representatives of the MIC .
Yet more astonishing hubris by the Americans. These people seem to live in another universe in which America can do whatever it wants anywhere, but no other nation can.
Personally I think the allegation is garbage, for 2 good reasons – first, Russia has no need for weapons from South Africa. This is because Russia likely has the largest military industrial base on the planet, and is developing the most advanced weapons ever seen.
Second, Washington has lost all credibility. As always no evidence is given to back up the bloviating and hysterical allegations. But that appears to be par for the course these days when it comes to Washington. The lies are non-stop, 24/7. In fact and like many, these days I sadly start with the assumption that the Americans are lying.
Back to the hubris. It really is quite disturbing. Maybe DC’s arrogance worked when China and Russia were relatively weak, say in the late 80s/early 90s. Now that both of those nations are back to peer status or stronger than the US in key areas, however, Washington cannot afford to be so arrogant.
Especially with BRICS nations such as South Africa that America depends upon for key materials, for example palladium. DC and it’s diplomats need to consider that discretion is the best policy for them these days – and that arrogance may attract the law of unintended consequences.
Besides, South Africa is a sovereign nation. It makes decisions in its own interests, as America does. If America doesn’t like a decision made by South Africa, use official channels to respectfully and discreetly explain why. If South Africa still doesn’t change their position, tough luck – welcome to the real world in 2023.
Washington needs to understand fast that it is foolish in 2023 for them to try and ambush or embarrass another country, in this manner. Airing dirty laundry in public, playing games & tricks, engaging in coercion and bullying no longer works.
Again, the law of unintended consequences applies. America is losing friends everywhere precisely because of this behaviour, and will continue to do so until things change.
A wise action now would be for Washington to immediately recall and reprimand this ambassador for her outrageous conduct, and then apologise to South Africa. Of course, this will not happen – America’s current leaders seem to lack the humility, wisdom or even basic manners required.
It’s all a great shame, as I know these values still exist in America. They’re going to be sorely needed, when and if quality leaders reappear in DC in the future, charged with having to salvage what they can from the wreckage the current clowns are creating now.
South Africa had quite a MIC during apartheid times. They developed a lot of weaponry up to a nuke. Russia is running out of stuff it is getting blown up at a tremendous rate, they could use some more weapons.
No the Russians are not ‘running out of stuff.’
Why do people believe such nonsense?
Russia is at full scale industrial production, because they have wisely developed a massive manufacturing base.
SA is a charter member of BRICS. And its economy and polity have long been in jeopardy.
Not unlikely they’ve been set up for regime change.
The NATO US LACKEYS believe everything that is said by the war mongering yanks.
“Personally I think the allegation is garbage, for 2 good reasons – first, Russia has no need for weapons from South Africa. This is because Russia likely has the largest military industrial base on the planet, and is developing the most advanced weapons ever seen.“
Russia is low ammo. You can deny that all you want but it does not change the fact.
No they are not low on ammo. Even western experts admit that.
And how do you know Russia is low on ammo? You keeping inventory count of their stockpile?
Well they are either low on ammunition or having a hell of a time getting it to the frontlines – you only have to listen to Prigozhin to know this is at least what the Russians believe too. Naturally you could claim it is their logistics that is the entire source of their problems – is that your claim, if so I’m inclined to believe you may be right.
You seem to be assuming that Prigozhin is:
1) Honest;
2) Well-informed; and
3) Indicative of “the Russians” in general.
Those are not safe assumptions.
Even assuming the first one, I can think of at least two alternative explanations for his complaints other than “the Russians are low on ammo.”
One is that there’s plenty of ammo, just localized logistical difficulties in delivering it to troops around Bakhmut.
Another is that Prigozhin’s troops, but not regular Russian army troops, are specifically being deprived of ammo because his political rivals want to see Wagner destroyed as an effective fighting force, both to embarrass him / reduce his influence AND because they don’t like the idea of someone who might make a power play having a private army at his beck and call.
Which doesn’t mean the Russians AREN’T low on ammo. With a fraction of their adversaries’ ability to produce and deliver arms, the longer this war goes on the worse the Russian position in that regard. But they may not be low on ammo YET.
As I put it, either they are short of ammunition or they have logistical issues – I even indicated that I was leaning towards the latter. Prigozhin is not the only one complaining and it seems to be a clear fact that the Russians (Wagner or not) are firing less shells.
So no, I did not assume that Prigozhin was honest, well-informed but I do know that his position is indicative of what is going on – i.e. fewer Russian shells being fired. Prigozhin is actually implying that there is ammunition enough but that it is not being delivered to Wagner (on purpose) – but seeing as it is not being fired at the rates of last May.
My money is on logistical issues – they have had plenty of those already, but I am also inclined to believe that they cannot produce at the rate they were using shells when taking Popasna.
Prigozhin is a private contractor and doesn’t represent Russian military. Just because Wagner Group aren’t getting their ammo doesn’t mean Russia is low on ammo. Some people’s rage against Russia is so deep you can see their drool every time they posts a comment.
No as I plainly stated they could also be having logistical issues – and Wagner troops are not the only ones to spend much lower quantities of shells.
Not seen many doing so here – hate of Ukrainians seems a common place thing here, hate of Russians – not so much hate of Putin – perhaps a bit more.
“They could also be having logistical issue.”
Perhaps. But so far, we aren’t seeing that as an issue. At the rate of money and equipment being dumped on Ukraine against Russia by most of Western Europe, not to mention off label NATO forces intergraded in the Ukrainian military, I’d say your statement is just wishful thinking.
“Russia likely has the largest military industrial base on the planet”
All industrial bases are at least potentially “military,” and Russia isn’t even in the top ten, let alone at the top.
If we assume “currently geared to military production,” it might come in a distant third to the US and China. But there are a few other players who might be ahead of it.
You’re laughably wrong. Start educating yourself, start here : https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/return-industrial-warfare
The US industrial base is a shell. It’s a grim, grim picture. Read more here:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-report-defense-industrial-readiness-going-in-the-wrong-direction/
And yet that “shell” continues to produce more stuff every year than any year before. And many multiples of what Russia produces.
I am American. I am in agreement with you.
LOL, wow there’s a lot of commies on this board. Russia has the most advanced weapons? Na, don’t think so. They are just the neandrathals that spent a lot of time and money developing rushed crap designed hypersonic missiles with that POS Xi in China when the world was at relative peace and everyone else was disarming. They were also busy micro sizing battle field nuclear weapons at a time when the world was at peace. So F you, and your love for Russia, after they launched them at civilians and killed hundreds of innocent people. My conclusion is your a bigger POS than him for spending your day on here lying about it.
YAWN
https://southfront.org/why-the-aggressor-in-ukraine-is-america-not-russia/
Also: Operation Aerodynamic CIA 1947
I don’t get it, I wish they hadn’t done it but surely they have a right to arm their friends just like we have a right to arm ours.
“… just like we have a right to arm ours.”. Who the fluk is this “we” you talk about??? It’s a bunch of psychopaths, narcissists and megalomaniacs in DC. You know, the same bunch that has wrecked the Middle East. And Libya. And more. Now, they have moved on to wrecking Ukraine.
So to break up the BRICS system, US will focus on the weakest of all the members first. Makes sense. Will it work? No.
So what?
I’m trying to imagine what kind of weapons SA could possibly be supplying?….
Could this be a precursor to August’s Durban BRICS meeting?
Little South Africa is hosting Russia, China, India and Brazil and big bad USA is lashing out, choosing to accuse poor South Africa of breaking some rules so it can really be yelled at when that meeting announces that basket of (likely digital) currencies to compete with the petro dollar.
If South Africa goes on the naughty list now the words of anger in August might have a little more impact is likely the thinking in DC.
The US is trying very hard to prevent other countries from following its own example…. shipping arms to its friend in Ukraine. It suggests that Biden realizes that his plans cannot succeed unless Russia can be 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 isolated. But a large percentage of the people on this planet don’t much like taking orders from Washington.
That attitude is probably why South Africa joined BRICS. This tentatively looks like a false alarm. But the incident could well encourage other countries to look for protection from US interference in their affairs.
This accusation is curiously close to Durban’s August BRICS meeting.
Perhaps it’s a means to put SA into the public’s perception as “bad”?
The angst that meeting will cause in DC is going to be great and SA might be receiving some early upset that will be ratcheted up as we get closer to that meeting.
This accusation is curiously close to Durban’s August BRICS meeting.
Perhaps it’s a means to put SA into the public’s perception as “bad”?
The angst that meeting will cause in DC is going to be great and SA might be receiving some early upset that will be ratcheted up as we get closer to that meeting.
Cough cough Pakistan cough
Reminds one of the US telling others that they must respect other country’s sovereignty while squatting on Syrian land and stealing their resources.
Was Assad not committing internal genocide and/or crimes against humanity? Is the world supposed to look away and let it happen?
I’d say no. He did nothing different than what Biden, Putin, Xi or any other authoritarian leader might have done under the same circumstances. But if we were judging everyone the same and they all received the same ticket to their war crime trials, then I’d say yes.
You only know about an internal genocide because your government lied to you.
Or maybe we know from some of the quite large number of Syrian refugees we have in our countries – are you seriously claiming that Assad has not (had to) fight a very brutal war in Syria???
Nah. Political enemies of Assad government lie because they are eager to claim power and be western lapdogs. Also, I have a bridge to sell you. Interested?
Is that what your analysis of a situation where more than a million Syrians who have lived in Syria under Assad rule for years and years tells you? That the political enemies of Assad can somehow motivate more than a million to flee their homes and risk their lives just to tell lies to the entire west?
I certainly hope there are not anyone paying for your to analyze anything.
A million Syrian? You and Don must be warehouse supervisors with all that exact count. Then again, when western countries promote color revelations and cause death and destruction, people’s natural response is to vacated it. Your suburbia commentary has no merit.
You have reading issues? I ask because I wrote more than a million!
This happened in 2015 with no apparent support from the western countries.
A sock puppet response.
So you ran out of actual arguments – good to know!
Another sock puppet response.
I’ll tag you on another article when you stop projecting.
When (if) you have arguments present them – otherwise it looks better to keep silent.
Michael you can’t get triggered so quickly. Take three deep breaths. You will have another opportunity.
I won this one hands down, I do not need another opportunity, you appear to live so far from events that you are simply too poorly informed to make any judgement.
Says you. You’ll have another opportunity.
You have a very selective sense of moral outrage Julio. There’s much in the way of atrocities in other countries but then again if Syria’s main export was Brocolli, the U.S. wouldn’t give a damn about Syria.
Our neocolonialism is good whereas everyone’s else’s is bad.
Or that is what some tell themselves.
Accusing Iran and China supplying arms to Russia was not enough…! Now South Africa, Next in line is Brazil…! Then it will be India…! Covering all the BRICS members to have excuses to put more sanctions on them…!
Sanctions are fast reaching there sell by date , i would say in 50 years time the supremacy of the USD will be no more , sadly i won`t be here to see it.
US will never accuse India since India is now a military ally of it against China
“The arming of Russia by South Africa … is fundamentally unacceptable.”
The time when America can push other nations around with this kind of rhetoric is rapidly coming to an end. Thank goodness.
Of course (se scipio below) this is false BUT since the USA, the instigator of the Russophobia and interference in Russia, has the 32 NATO poodles plus hangers-on like Australia all providing “help”, why should a BRICS member not do so??
Africa needs the yanks like it needs a hole in the head , nothing good will come of allowing the yanks into Africa , you only have to look at how the yanks treat African Americans to see the racist thinking .
One doesn’t see any respect from the United Snakes towards nations that aren’t predominantly white: first the Middle East and China, now Africa.
South Africa: F*CK Amerikkka. You do NOT own us.
More than half the world is under US sanctions already- and the vast majority of those nations are doing fine. Sanctions are not the tool of coercion like they used to be and, as far as US hegemony is concerned, are proving to be counter-productive.
South Afrika is a member of BRICS .Surely it can do business with any of its members in its own currency bypassing the dollar, even weapons sales. US and U.K. Are selling weapons to Ukraine, so what’s the problem?
So f*cking what! What are we doing? ???
Thank you for using the appropriate explanative.
US foreign policy under Biden has somehow made US even more isolated in world.
Joe Biden reminds me of W. Neutrality in the war in Ukraine is not good enough for him & says every country should support the US in the war. W said about the so-called “War ON Terror” “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists”. They say you can’t be neutral & have to pick a side.
Never mind…
The embassador says he’s sorry and should not have said such things.
Typical Biden clown show ….