South Africa is going to host its second joint naval military exercises off the coast of its southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province with its BRICS allies, Russia and China, which has made the African country object of criticism by the West. However, South Africa has already expressed hope that such trilateral exercises will become regular practice.


South Africa's participation in the upcoming joint naval military exercises with Russia and China is "not acceptable," Fiona Hill, who served as the former deputy assistant to the US president, said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

"And other countries should not be doing that too," she added.
Hill, who works as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, also emphasized the West should be worried about the naval drills as the exercises will underscore the level to which their ties have risen within the framework of the Global South.
While South Africa is preparing to host its second joint military naval exercises with Russia and China from February 17-27, it has been repeatedly criticized by the West.
David Feldmann, spokesperson for the US Embassy in South Africa, and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concern over South Africa's intention to hold exercises with Russia and China.

Responding to criticism, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said all countries hold military exercises with their friends worldwide, adding that it is the natural course of relations. Her statement came at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his January visit to South Africa.
Concerning the naval drills, her Russian counterpart also said he does not understand how conducting exercises by three sovereign states without violating any rule of international law could cause such "mixed" reactions.
At the same time, Lavrov questioned why there was such a reaction from the US.

“US colleagues believe that only they can conduct exercises around the world," he stated. "Now they are actively engaged in naval exercises as part of the Indo-Pacific strategies around China, in the South China Sea, in the Taiwan Strait, and this does not cause any mixed reaction from anyone.”

South Africa’s Department of Defense spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini also said the country will not reconsider its participation in the exercises.

“I’d like to repeat that the exercise will go ahead with the two countries in South Africa in February," he stated. "In relation to the military-to-military relations between these two countries and many others, which include the United States, where exercises have been held with each of those countries.”


https://sputniknews.com/amp/20230217/former-white-house-adviser-south-africas-naval-drills-with-russia-china-not-acceptable-1107492942.html



South Africa drills with Russia, China could signify failed Washington efforts to solidify African allies

South Africa launched joint naval drills with Russia and China Friday, prompting international backlash along with questions over its allegiances with Western allies.

The 10-day long military exercises, which come as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine looms, signify more than an ambivalent attitude towards the war, it suggests Washington's attempts to court South Africa are failing.

"There is a real desire on the part of South Africa to create a multipolar world and there is a real sense that the world has been done a disservice by an either bipolar or unipolar world," Cameron Hudson, a senior associate in the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) told Fox News Digital.

Hudson explained that this policy means South Africa will choose to work with any nation that best suits it including the U.S., Russia and China despite adversarial differences – a geopolitical tactic that Western nations have a difficult time accepting.

"In a multipolar world, all partners are valid partners," he said.

The war in Ukraine has prompted Western countries to draw geopolitical lines, and they have called on nations around the globe to condemn the war.

But South Africa, which was one of 35 nations last year to abstain from a U.N. vote condemning the war in Ukraine, has decided to take a neutral stance.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with his South African counterpart earlier this week in which they reportedly discussed the upcoming anniversary and Minister Naledi Pandor’s support for a peaceful resolution to the war, a readout of the talks said.

But the readout did not include any mention of the joint drills with China or Russia – two of the U.S.’s biggest adversaries and who have been vying for greater influence in the African continent as their ties with the West become increasingly strained.

In a statement to Fox News Digital a State Department spokesman said Friday the department had noted with "concern" South Africa's decision to hold joint drills with Russia and China.

"We encourage South Africa to cooperate militarily with fellow democracies (Saudi Arabia? Arab monarchies?) that share our mutual commitment to human rights and the rule of law," the spokesman added.

But Hudson argued that Washington's private or public lobbying to discourage relations with its chief adversaries could be only complicating the situation further.

"South Africa is not unique in the position that it holds among Africans," Hudson said. "They do not want to be trapped between great powers. They want to be able to choose and define their external relationships and not be pressured."

China has been inserting itself across the continent for years by employing various loan programs that often result in Beijing’s increased influence as poor nations struggle to pay off the loan commitments – a scheme that has been deemed "debt trap diplomacy."

But Russia’s increasing interest in the African continent has Western officials concerned.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already visited the continent twice this year alone, including South Africa in January.

Earlier this month he pronounced that the West had been unsuccessful in isolating Moscow from Africa following his second tour.

Blinken traveled to South Africa in August where he championed the end of apartheid and met with Pandor for a joint press conference.

But Blinken’s reception by the South African government did not appear to be as warmly welcomed as Lavrov’s visit earlier this month. During a joint press conference the international minister accused the U.S. and its Western allies of employing "a sense [of] patronizing bullying" when it came to the war in Ukraine.

"It's a bit ironic that while South Africa kind of rails against the West, for its sort of hegemony historically, it's aligning itself with malign actors," Hudson said, adding that the drills that kicked off Friday are just the latest "rejection of all the courting that the Biden administration has been doing in South Africa."

Over the last 20 years the U.S. has provided over $7 billion in AIDS relief to South Africa alone, which doesn't include the other millions of dollars in humanitarian aid Washington continues to provide annually.

It is unclear how much aid either Russia or China provide to South Africa annually, but Hudson explained this is the crux of Washington's woes in Africa.

"We in the United States, view our relationships in South Africa and with Africa, as kind of aid dependent – it is not a relationship of equals," he said. "It is a relationship of donors and recipients.

"Whereas Russia and China are building relationships of equals," he added. "They're not sending aid to these countries. They're doing business deals, they're doing security deals, they're making investments, they're building political alliances in ways that we in the United States simply are not."


Russia’s close ties with South Africa date back to the days of apartheid when Moscow backed the African National Congress (ANC) in its fight against the oppressive government

For this matter.. i stand with South Africa.. Russia has never colonized any part of africa since that horrible berlin conference convened by German chancellor Otto van Bismarck.. Africa must be allowed to have other partners from the East.. the so called West has not reali helped our cause

0m0 bosses I know you guys really detest begging in this forum,but I haven't eaten anything at all since day before yesterday night I swear with my life,my boss refuse to pay us,I'll absolutely appreciate anything at all even if Na 200N
2209487891
Zenith

Spare124:
0m0 bosses I know you guys really detest begging in this forum,but I haven't eaten anything at all since day before yesterday night I swear with my life,my boss refuse to pay us,I'll absolutely appreciate anything at all even if Na 200N
2209487891
Zenith

Femi, please after voting Jagaban on Saturday don't try this.
I run something for you sha.

Is only sa that has chosen Russia and china and they're already lamenting, let's wait when Nigeria and other countries start waking up.

Wild west always in pain.

Lol south Africa is another rubbish useless country anyway, they're full of shits so it doesn't matter if Russia even invade them bastard who cares, I just pity these senseless African countries picking China and Russia these Chinese are way more evil than the devil itself

Slymking:
Lol south Africa is another rubbish useless country anyway, they're full of shits so it doesn't matter if Russia even invade them bastard who cares, I just pity these senseless African countries picking China and Russia these Chinese are way more evil than the devil itself

below pix is another heart attack for western slave

Vl3ly:
below pix is another heart attack for western slave

lol slave calling other people slave 😅 if you have some senses to think tell me how many of your black ass brothers are in that Russia you're licking their ass, people that see you as animals and less human they don't even give a pinch shit about y'all Africans, tell me how many times they have sent you help or aid or give you anything meaningful to help you even during the lockdown? That Una mumuism is why these people enslaved you Africans yet you're still licking their ass, shame.

Laggafin:
For this matter.. i stand with South Africa.. Russia has never colonized any part of africa since that horrible berlin conference convened by German chancellor Otto van Bismarck.. Africa must be allowed to have other partners from the East.. the so called West has not reali helped our cause

imagine the mumu propaganda they're using to slave Una, Russia has never colonized any African countries, yes they haven't you know why? SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE KONK RASCIST THEY HATE BLACKS THAN POOP SO THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO COME ANY CLOSER TO ANY BLACK, WHY UNA NO DEY TROOP GO RUSSIA AND CHINA SAME WAY Y'ALL FULL THE WEST THAT YOU'RE CALLING EVIL? IF THEM SAY MAKE ALL OF YOU CALLING WEST DEVIL TO PICK CITIZENSHIP of EITHER RUSSIA, CHINA OR WEST NON OF YOU WOULD PICK THOSE DEMONIC MONSTER CALLED CHINA OR RUSSIA, EVEN IF U DO MUMUISM PICK THEN YOU WON'T LIVE THERE TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOU JAPA ENTER NIGERIA BACK .

Slymking:
lol slave calling other people slave 😅 if you have some senses to think tell me how many of your black ass brothers are in that Russia you're licking their ass, people that see you as animals and less human they don't even give a pinch shit about y'all Africans, tell me how many times they have sent you help or aid or give you anything meaningful to help you even during the lockdown? That Una mumuism is why these people enslaved you Africans yet you're still licking their ass, shame.

you can google the percentage of blacks in Russia olodo tell me any country in this world that will find blacks

Hope you have taken your covid jab ? How do you feel it? that's a gift from slave master

Slymking:
imagine the mumu propaganda they're using to slave Una, Russia has never colonized any African countries, yes they haven't you know why? SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE KONK RASCIST THEY HATE BLACKS THAN POOP SO THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO COME ANY CLOSER TO ANY BLACK, WHY UNA NO DEY TROOP GO RUSSIA AND CHINA SAME WAY Y'ALL FULL THE WEST THAT YOU'RE CALLING EVIL? IF THEM SAY MAKE ALL OF YOU CALLING WEST DEVIL TO PICK CITIZENSHIP of EITHER RUSSIA, CHINA OR WEST NON OF YOU WOULD PICK THOSE DEMONIC MONSTER CALLED CHINA OR RUSSIA, EVEN IF U DO MUMUISM PICK THEN YOU WON'T LIVE THERE TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOU JAPA ENTER NIGERIA BACK .

slave mentality

Slymking:
imagine the mumu propaganda they're using to slave Una, Russia has never colonized any African countries, yes they haven't you know why? SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE KONK RASCIST THEY HATE BLACKS THAN POOP SO THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO COME ANY CLOSER TO ANY BLACK, WHY UNA NO DEY TROOP GO RUSSIA AND CHINA SAME WAY Y'ALL FULL THE WEST THAT YOU'RE CALLING EVIL? IF THEM SAY MAKE ALL OF YOU CALLING WEST DEVIL TO PICK CITIZENSHIP of EITHER RUSSIA, CHINA OR WEST NON OF YOU WOULD PICK THOSE DEMONIC MONSTER CALLED CHINA OR RUSSIA, EVEN IF U DO MUMUISM PICK THEN YOU WON'T LIVE THERE TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOU JAPA ENTER NIGERIA BACK .

So u choose to come poo D's trashy shit on my mentions!!! Who the hell is this?

South Africa is truly the pride and giant of Africa.

A country with balls. No wonder they are chiarman of BRICS.

South Africa has visionary leaders that care about their country and protect their National interest.

Nigeria on the other hand is the giant of Africa in poverty, hunger , and backwardness. She has vowed to remain a British and western puppet.

The people keep voting for Criminals and kleptomaniacs in public offices. Nigeria politicians only knows how to steal, loot and embezzle public funds. Nothing more! Nothing less!

Wetin concern them with National building and National interest. All they know is how to steal, steal and steal until nothing is left.

Bunch of Unpatriotic fellows and the useless citizens that are supporting the same politicians that impoverished them due to some primitives ethnic and religious sentiment.

No wonder the nation is almost a failed country and a hellhole.

South Africa is going forward while Nigeria is going backward. That's the reality.

If Nigeria elect one the Criminals, either the drug lord mafia of Lagos or the mikano thief instead of Peter obi, then it is over for them.

Tinububalls:

Femi, please after voting Jagaban on Saturday don't try this.
I run something for you sha.

.
Omo God bless you boss,was wondering how 1k got to my account I never knew it was someone from here,God bless you bountiful boss I really appreciate,that 1k literally saved my life,God bless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi0ocKBVOwI

South Africa joint naval excercise with Russia and China