Cape Town – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has reiterated that the country’s non-aligned stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict does not indicate neutrality.
While Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, the government has refrained from taking sides and instead sought to actively promote peace between the two nations.
“Non-alignment should never be confused with neutrality, we are not neutral. If you are neutral, you are oblivious to the suffering of people to what international law provides to the United Nations Charter and its provisions.
“South Africa has never been neutral. We made a very deliberate and intentional decision based on our history,” EWN quoted the head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela as saying.
Former president Thabo Mbeki recently defended the country’s non-aligned stance on the Ukraine-Russia war, saying that it was in line with traditional African approaches to conflicts.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of his 81st birthday celebrations on Sunday, Mbeki argued that South Africa’s neutral position is crucial for potential mediation efforts between the two countries, News24 reported.
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“This is a traditional African position. If you look at the way we approach conflict on the continent, it does not matter which country is involved; we always say: ‘Let’s stop the guns firing and sit down,’ and we can then decide the causes of the war and so on to find the solution,” the report quoted him as saying.
South Africa has faced criticism from Western nations, particularly the US, for not condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mbeki emphasised the importance of dialogue and understanding both sides of the conflict before making judgments.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently participated in a peace delegation to Ukraine and Russia, where he met with Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in an effort to mediate peace between the two countries.
Mbeki commended Ramaphosa’s African Peace Initiative, which he said aims to establish the facts and propose solutions after listening to both Ukraine and Russia.
“If you want to be a mediator, you cannot start by condemning one side or the other. You have got to say: ‘First of all, let us sit down. Silence the guns, let’s talk.’ It is during the negotiations that you can say: ‘You were wrong; you were right.’ This neutral position in that sense is correct,” he said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
