South Africa, Russia and China will hold naval drills in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa next month, in another indication of strengthening relationships amid the war in Ukraine and global economic crisis.
The South African National Defence Force(SANDF) disclosed that they, the Russian and Chinese navies will engage in “a multinational maritime exercise” from February 17-27 off South Africa’s east coast near the cities of Durban and Richards Bay.
The drills will happen around the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and will bring more focus on the push by Russia and China for global influence.
The announcement also comes days before Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov is due to visit South Africa and have discussions with South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor.
The South African government has stated that it has a neutral stance over the Russia-Ukraine war and has called for dialogue and diplomacy. However, the upcoming naval drills have led the country’s main opposition party to believe otherwise, accusing the government of effectively siding with Russia.
The South African government denies that it has taken sides and has called for the end of the war.
The South African National Defense Force(SANDF), which incorporates all of its armed forces, disclosed that next month’s naval exercise would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
The aim of the drills was “sharing operational skills and knowledge,” the SANDF said.
The three countries also carried out similar naval exercise in 2019 in Cape Town, while Russia and China held joint naval drills in the East China Sea last month.
South Africa, a key Western partner, is one of several African countries that abstained in a United Nations vote last year condemning Russia’s invasion. The United States and the European Union had hoped that South Africa would support the international condemnation of Russia and act as a leader for other nations in Africa.
President Joe Biden hosted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House in September, when a key talking point was their differences over the war in Ukraine. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken visited South Africa last year.
Experts Warn Of Russia’s Increased Military Influence In Africa
Experts have warned of Russia’s increased military influence in Africa since it first annexed parts of Ukraine in 2014, while the Biden administration also recognizes the importance of strengthening relations on the continent after China has spent decades entrenching itself in Africa’s natural resources markets.
Improving relations with South Africa is central to the U.S. effort of limiting Russian and Chinese influence. In pursuance of that, U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen is also due to visit South Africa next week to round off a three-country tour of Africa.
Yellen’s South African visit starts two days after Lavrov’s meeting with the South African Foreign Minister.
The South African government drew more attention over its stance regarding Russia in October when it said it would allow a superyacht linked to Russian oligarch, Alexey Mordashov to dock in Cape Town despite him being under U.S. and EU sanctions.
South Africa was also accused of allowing another sanctioned Russian vessel to dock at a naval base near Cape Town in December.
South Africa’s relationship with Russia is greatly tied to the support the Soviet Union gave now-ruling African National Congress(ANC) party in its fight to bring down apartheid, the regime of repression against the country’s Black majority.
Apartheid ended in 1994 when the ANC won the first democratic elections in South Africa and Nelson Mandela became President.
South Africa is also a member of the BRICS bloc of emerging countries alongside Brazil, Russia, India and China.
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