PRETORIA – The African National Congress (ANC) has revealed that Russia has warned that any attempt to arrest President Vladimir Putin during the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa would result in a declaration of war.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest for Putin, and as a signatory member, South Africa is obligated to commit to the ICC’s order.
Speaking about the situation, Obed Bapela, a member of the ANC, stated that the party had travelled to Russia for talks with the leading political party earlier this year.
“They had indicated that he is coming, so we have a situation as South Africa, obviously they told us ‘you dare arrest our president and you are declaring war on us,'” said Bapela.
SA in fix for supporting Russia
Russia is one of the founding members of BRICS, and with South Africa hosting the event in Durban later this year, the nation cannot stop Russia from attending.
However, the country is in a difficult situation as it is obligated to comply with the ICC’s warrant of arrest, while also being mindful of Kremlin’s warning.
The BRICS summit is an annual gathering of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is seen as a key opportunity for the nations to strengthen their ties and cooperation.
However, the potential arrest of Putin threatens to overshadow the event and cause diplomatic tensions.
South Africa has yet to publicly comment on Kremlin’s warning, but the situation is likely to be a topic of discussion in the lead-up to the summit.
It remains to be seen how the country will navigate this delicate situation.
In the meantime, the ANC has called for calm and for all parties to work towards a peaceful and diplomatic resolution.
“We must find a way to balance our obligations to the ICC with our commitment to maintaining good diplomatic relations with Russia,” said Bapela.
“It is a delicate situation, but one that we must handle with care.”
