US envoy lashes out at South Africa, Washington displeased: Politico
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The White House is infuriated with Brigety's claims because it does not seek to jeopardize its relations with the South Africa.
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A view of the Russian vessel, Lady R, is docked at the Simon's Town Naval Base near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 (AP)
A report by Politico on Thursday revealed that the White House is furious over remarks its ambassador to South Africa made three weeks ago, alleging Pretoria of providing militarily assistance to Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
"The arming of Russia by South Africa with the vessel that landed in Simon’s Town is fundamentally unacceptable," Brigety said on May 11 in Pretoria. "We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion."
Moreover, the diplomat stated that "the arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," reaffirming that "the arming of Russia by South Africa … is fundamentally unacceptable.”
The White House is infuriated with these claims because it does not seek to jeopardize its relations with the country, with some observers saying that Brigety's comments may have damaged US interests in the long run.
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel has previously stated during a press briefing that the US is concerned about the presence of an economically sanctioned ship, the Lady-R, which is claimed of having been used to smuggle weapons to Russia when it docked in South Africa’s Simon’s Town naval base in December 2022.
Whether the claims are true or not, US officials have told Politico they felt uncomfortable with Brigety's accusations, noting that he had not been granted permission to say what he said and that he overstated what the US knows for certain.
"The things we have said publicly we are ready to put the credibility of the U.S. government behind. What he said was far beyond that," a White House official told Politico.
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The incident has inadvertently tarnished the US reputation on a global scale because it revealed how the US works to influence governments to divert their political alignment against China and Russia.
Another White House source told Politico that South Africa's trust is crucial because it is "definitely the de facto leader of sub-Saharan Africa," adding "I don’t think we ’need’ them. But it’s also not smart to make them an enemy."
A former US diplomat who reportedly worked closely with Reuben said "Reuben has played the role of the little boy who said, who shouted out loud, what people refuse to see with their own eyes."
Although many US officials expressed discontent over Brigety's remarks, over sided with him over the remarks.
These include top Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Idaho’s Jim Risch, and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).
Coons reportedly traveled to South Africa as part of a bipartisan delegation after the Lady-R incident occurred. During his visit, the delegation was briefed by Brigety, and the lawmakers that attended the delegation were reportedly impressed by the envoy's remarks.
"If there’s been an action by South Africa to provide arms to Russia during this conflict, that is a serious issue and must be dealt with seriously," Coons said. "I have confidence that Ambassador Brigety is professional, capable, and is representing the US well in a difficult moment in the US-South Africa relationship."
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When the docking incident occurred, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that it was "disappointing" that Brigety had “adopted a counterproductive public posture," noting that Brigety's statement "undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterized the recent engagements between US government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President, Dr. Sydney Mufumadi."
Then, Ramaphosa explained that the docking of Lady-R in South Africa has been "public knowledge" and "While no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the Government has undertaken to institute an independent inquiry to be led by a retired judge."
The President underscored "the Lady R matter" had already been discussed between South Africa and US officials, "and there was an agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course, and that the US intelligence services will provide whatever evidence in their possession."
A South African diplomat reportedly told Politico that his government began investigating the Lady-R case prior to Brigety delivering his statements on May 11. Ramaphosa said on Sunday he has appointed an independent panel to pursue the investigation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the matter on May 31, warning the US not to meddle in relations between Moscow and Pretoria, and that it should instead seek to repair its tarnished reputation on a global scale, Russia Today reports.
"If an American or any other overseas ambassador starts seeing things, generally [he] must know his place and mind his own business," Lavrov said, adding that Russia "never violates international norms" regarding arms shipments.
Lavrov comments on claims made by the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, who alleged earlier this month that Pretoria had sent arms and ammunition to Moscow
— RT (@RT_com) May 31, 2023
Details: https://t.co/mg58Av9oP1 pic.twitter.com/SgEqloGBBc
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