S Africa: ‘Peace mission’ in Ukraine unaffected by Russia mutiny

South Africa’s foreign minister declines to comment on possible visit of Putin in August after the meeting with her German counterpart in Pretoria.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has said last weekend’s aborted mutiny in Russia would not affect African efforts to engage authorities in Moscow and Kyiv about the war in Ukraine.

The “attempted mutiny … will not affect our intention of continuing to engage with both countries as has been agreed by the presidents who were part of the African peace mission”, Pandor said in Pretoria on Tuesday after talks with her German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

A group of presidents led by South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa visited Russia and Ukraine as part of a peace mission earlier this month. The trip had no backing from the African Union and has drawn criticism within the continent.

On Saturday, mercenary fighters led by Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin seized the city of Rostov-on-Don and marched, seemingly unopposed, towards Moscow, demanding the removal of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The uprising came to an abrupt end hours after it began within 200km (124 miles) of Moscow after the group agreed to end the operation in a pact with the Kremlin, brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

South Africa has insisted it is non-aligned in Russia’s war in Ukraine and has faced criticism from Western powers for maintaining close ties to Russia, a historic ally.

Pandor told reporters on Tuesday that the African peace mission to Kyiv and Moscow was a preliminary visit and leaders of both countries had agreed to further meetings in the next few weeks.

She also declined to comment on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend a summit in Cape Town in August.

Putin’s visit has been the subject of intense debate globally after a warrant was issued for his arrest by the International Criminal Court in March. Pretoria is obligated as an ICC member to arrest the visiting leader.

Baerbock said Prigozhin’s mutiny “makes it clear once again that Russia’s illegal war of aggression is not just an attack on Ukraine … but that President Putin is destroying his own country”.