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South Africa military defends controversial naval drills involving Russia, China

Agence France-Presse (The Jakarta Post)

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Richards Bay, South Africa

Sat, February 25, 2023 Published on Feb. 25, 2023 Published on 2023-02-25T22:34:54+07:00

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outh Africa's military on Wednesday defended its decision to host controversial naval exercises jointly staged with Russia and China and coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.

Originally slated to start last week, the exercise dubbed Mosi-II kicked off on Wednesday along South Africa's eastern coast. in the local Tswana language, mosi means "smoke".

But coming on the eve of the anniversary of Russia's onslaught on Ukraine, the drills were described by commentators as politically "dubious" and showing "insensitivity".

The exercises have also been criticized by the United States and the European Union.

South Africa has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine which has largely isolated Moscow on the international stage, saying it prefers dialogue to end the war.

"There is a difference between military and politics," Lt. Gen. Siphiwe Sangweni, chief of joint operations in the South African National Defense Force, told a news conference in the eastern port town of Richards Bay.

He said the military was "guided by government" but also needed to learn skills from other military forces to protect South Africa and for use in international peacekeeping operations.