South Africa has called on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine in line with the United Nations Charter.
In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation says the UN Charter enjoins all member states to settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice are not endangered.
“Armed conflict will no doubt result in human suffering and destruction, the effects of which will not only affect Ukraine but also reverberate across the world. No country is immune to the effects of this conflict. As the UN Secretary-General has indicated, the conflict will have a huge impact on the “global economy in a moment when we are emerging from the COVID pandemic and so many developing countries need to have space for the recovery”.
Russia has launched a military operation in Ukraine and the Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has warned that a full-scale invasion is under way in the country.
Tensions have been escalating between the two nations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2021 urged United States President Joe Biden to let Ukraine join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), a move that angered Russia and considers being a threat to its security.
A playlist of the video relating to the Russia- Ukraine conflict:
Peaceful resolution
South Africa is pleading with the nations to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“As a nation birthed through negotiation, South Africa is always appreciative of the potential dialogue has in averting a crisis and de-escalating conflict. In line with our strong commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflict, South Africa urges all parties to devote increased efforts to diplomacy and to find a solution that will help avert further escalation.”
The country has also called for the UN Security Council to intervene.
“The Security Council remains the primary body tasked with the mandate to maintain international peace and security and it must exercise its responsibility fully in this regard. We also believe that the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General could also make a positive contribution in finding a lasting solution to this conflict.”
South Africans in Ukraine
Meanwhile, the South African Embassy in Kyiv is monitoring developments closely and is also assisting South African nationals in Ukraine.
South African Ambassador in Ukraine Andre Groenewald says they have yet to activate evacuation plans for South Africans who are in Kyiv.
Groenewald says their diplomatic mission stands ready to offer consular services.
“You would have seen the event unfolding in the media; we woke up last night with serious explosions around Kyiv. We never expected it to happen this side. We are ready for whatever happens, one of the major responsibilities for me in addition to diplomacy and other high-level issues, we must deal includes the well-being of our people.”
Some countries have imposed sanctions on Russia:
