TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
South Africa military defends controversial naval drills involving Russia, China
Change Size
S
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.
"Yes, there will be other countries who feel differently in how we have approached this, but [...] all countries are sovereign nations and have a right to handle things [as] they see fit," he said.
Sangweni said "cooperation and coordination with all other militaries" was "very important".
More than 350 members of South Africa's armed forces will take part in the exercises, which wind up on Feb. 27. Russia is the "lead" country in the drills, said South Africa.
A Russian military frigate equipped with a powerful Zircon missile system and a Chinese Type 054A frigate, the Rizhao 598, will be used in the exercises.
The Russian military said in a statement earlier on Wednesday that the frigate Admiral Gorshkov from the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet will be used among other things to practice tactics on how to fend off threats to security at sea.
Oleg Gladkiy, a commander and captain with the Russian contingent speaking through a translator, said the exercises would include mutually maneuvering the three countries' ships to simulate the liberation of a vessel captured by pirates, and "artillery fire", which would not include the firing of hypersonic missiles.
A joint statement read by a South African official also said no missiles would be fired from the Russian vessel during the exercises.
Brazil is participating as an observer, in the second such exercise involving South Africa, China and Russia.
