South Africa's dilemma with Putin and the ICC

2023-04-30 07:40:30

South Africa faces a major political dilemma, involving its international relations and its positioning vis-à-vis the International Criminal Court (ICC). Reports have recently circulated indicating that the country has hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC.

Putin’s Controversial Visit to South Africa

According to some videos shared on TikTok and Facebook, Putin paid a visit to South Africa at the end of March. However, these videos are not recent, some from 2015 and some from 2018. Thus, the question of South Africa’s adherence to a US-Western dominated world order remains in suspense.

South Africa’s Position on the ICC

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently expressed the possibility of his country withdrawing from the ICC. This statement did not fail to raise questions, especially since voices within the African National Congress, the president’s party, plead for continued membership of the international organization.

Putin, an awkward guest?

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes against the Russian president, who was invited to the BRICS summit in South Africa in August. South African officials are torn between the idea of receiving Putin and that of respecting the ICC’s arrest warrant.

Complex South African-Russian relations

South Africa refused to condemn the Russian invasion. Joint military exercises with Russia and China were even organized, coinciding with the first anniversary of the start of the war. This demonstrates that relations between South Africa and Russia go well beyond international arrest warrants.

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