South Africa’s envoy to Ottawa is urging Canada to help broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that sending arms to Kyiv will only prolong a dangerous conflict that is aggravating hunger in developing countries.
OTTAWA -
South Africa is among 32 countries that have abstained from United Nations votes calling on Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. South Africa is ruled by the African National Congress, a political party that grew out of an anti-apartheid organization that had members trained by the Soviet Union in military tactics.“Let me just say it categorically: South Africa is opposed to the invasion of Ukraine. The violation of the UN Charter is unacceptable to us. The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be maintained,” he said.
“If you put an outcome of a negotiation as a requirement to negotiate, then you’re not going to have negotiations,” he said. The referendum passed with majority support in 1992, and apartheid was dismantled two years later, through a series of compromises. The country launched a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined atrocities meted out by both the racist government and resistance movements.
Shaik added that any reconciliation process must look at the wrongdoings of both sides. “It is hard to believe that in war, only one side committed atrocities,” he said. “There is no grand conspiracy against Russia. The international community is not anti-Russian. Russia is facing the consequences of its own actions,” Rae told the General Assembly last October, shortly before its latest vote to condemn the invasion.
He expressed disappointment that Canada has not entertained the idea of peace talks, stressing that Canadians still earn respect in South Africa for their “enormous” contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. As the economic ripple effects of the invasion continue to unfold, Shaik argued against Washington’s push for “friendshoring,” which holds that allies should rely on each other to make supply chains more resilient and defang hostile actors from taxing or withholding goods.
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