South Africa has once again stood up to the US’ bullying tactics of Africa, telling the Biden administration
to scrap its unwarranted “Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa” Bill.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor believed the legislation was at odds with
international law.
Washington legislation ‘totally unwarranted’
The minister described the Washington legislation as “totally unwarranted” and “should be really killed”.
“I think it’s an intrusion that goes against international law,” she said.
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In an interview with Russian online publication Sputnik, the minister went further to say that South Africa had even met the drafter of the initial legislation and indicated to them the country’s opposition to the legislation by Washington.
Instead, South Africa would continue “to advocate for that Bill to be torn up and not to proceed in any form or state”, Pandor said.
When the Bill becomes law, it will ensure that the US monitored and assessed the scale and scope of Russia’s activities in Africa that could potentially counter the US interests on the continent.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the US Congress bill on the fight against Russian activities in Africa “an American provocation” which harms primarily the Africans themselves and reflects the West’s colonial approach to the countries of the continent.
The Russian official stressed that he had no doubts that even those who do not comment on this kind of “US provocation” still have a deep conviction that “this law harms Africans first of all.”
It could impose sanctions and other restrictions against Russia and any African government that supported Russia’s malign influence and activities on the continent.
But President Cyril Ramaphosa and Pandor expressed opposition to punishment of South Africa for its historic nonalignment stance.
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