The South African presidency announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the BRICS summit in South Africa in August. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will instead be present at the conference, accompanied by the leaders of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa.
In a statement, the South African presidency confirmed the decision was the outcome of a “mutual agreement” between Russia and South Africa. Mr Putin’s attendance at the summit had posed a diplomatic quandary for South Africa, given that an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been issued against him for alleged war crimes connected to the conflict in Ukraine. As a member of the ICC, South Africa is obligated to arrest Putin if he were to physically participate in the summit.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa had earlier sought the ICC’s permission not to arrest Putin, as stated in a local court submission published on Tuesday. Ramaphosa indicated that detaining Putin would be tantamount to declaring war.
The Kremlin responded on Wednesday, refuting that Russia had advised South Africa that arresting Putin on an ICC warrant would equate to a declaration of war. South Africa has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, maintaining a neutral stance and advocating dialogue. However, this position has invited criticism from Western powers due to its apparent proximity to Moscow.
The BRICS group, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group of advanced economies. The decision to exclude Putin was described as “mutual” by South Africa’s presidency, after “numerous consultations” on the summit.
The initial invitation extended to Putin, prior to the ICC’s war crimes accusations, stirred both national and international controversy. It was perceived as a deviation from South Africa’s balanced approach, echoing the stance of other African nations, in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As pressure mounted to arrest President Putin, the South African government found itself in a challenging position. The primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, sought legal action to compel the authorities to arrest Putin should he set foot on South African soil. Amnesty International also backed this challenge.
President Ramaphosa strongly opposed this move, citing national security implications. Russia has emphasised that arresting its incumbent president would be considered a declaration of war. Moscow has consistently dismissed the ICC arrest warrant as outrageous and legally void, given Russia’s non-member status within the organisation.
The African continent remains divided over the Russia-Ukraine war, with some countries reluctant to support United Nations’ resolutions condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. One factor cited by experts is the economic ties between some African nations, including South Africa, and Moscow. Sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg is reportedly one of the major donors to South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).
Image Credit: AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht, File
