In a rare rebuke, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said the South Africa government was “deeply concerned” by a Russian attack that killed Ukrainian pensioners.
The statement casts a more critical tone of Moscow than usual while repeating the government’s call for peace.
“Deliberate targeting of non-combatants is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” DIRCO said in a statement on Wednesday. “South Africa is deeply concerned about the indiscriminate attacks on civilians emanating from a Russian attack which killed pensioners.”
According to Bloomberg, a Russian strike on Tuesday killed 24 people in eastern Ukraine as they collected pension payments. The attack is part of a broader pattern of rising civilian casualties in the conflict.
South Africa has sought to maintain a non-aligned stance on the war, with President Cyril Ramaphosa among the leaders attempting to mediate since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Still, the latest statement underscored Pretoria’s unease with attacks it said breach humanitarian law and escalate global tensions.
“South Africa not only calls for a de-escalation and ceasefire, but also implores all parties to the conflict to abide by international law,” the statement said.
[Image: Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, at a press briefing at DIRCO head office, Pretoria, October 2024. By Ricardo Teixeira]