S.Africa reviews US unilateral sanctions affecting unrelated sanctions

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South Africa calls on the United States to review its sanctions due to their impact on unrelated countries, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told Sputnik. 

"We always have a problem with unilateral sanctions and their impact on many countries that fall outside a particular conflict, so we have indicated to our friends in the United States that we really want them to relook at this imposition of unilateral sanctions, which is often not very helpful a strategy in resolving problems," she said in an interview.

The diplomat argued that the approach has not worked for Zimbabwe, Venezuela, or Cuba, adding that South Africa might adhere to sanctions where it feels that international or humanitarian law is infringed, "but where we feel that these are merely unilateral impositions and don't have the authority of the United Nations, we don't believe that South Africa is bound by them." 

Read next: South Africa never forgets: Why Cape Town won't support Ukraine

Earlier in September 2022, the US Congress examined a new draft bill that would impose new sanctions against Russia - however, this time, rather than it being against its activities in Ukraine, it is targeting Moscow's activities in Africa. The bill was passed in April by the House of Representatives and has now reached the Senate.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking to the US Congressional Balck Caucus, argued that the new draft bill would actually risk punishing the entire continent. 

"If the Countering Malign Russia Activities [in Africa] bill were to become a US law, the law could have the unintended consequence of punishing the African continent for efforts to advance development and growth," Ramaphosa said.

He slammed US lawmakers' weaving of anti-Russian sanctions, remarking that it is disappointing that the lawmakers crafted the anti-Russia legislation at a time when US President Joe Biden is claiming to seek to engage African countries on the basis of respect for their independence and sovereignty.