The government is seeking legal advice on how to handle an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader attends a Brics summit in South Africa in August.
The ICC issued the warrant on March 18 for war crimes related to the alleged abduction of children from Ukraine. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the court, and may be obliged to execute the arrest order.
“We are awaiting a refreshed legal opinion on the matter,” international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor told the SABC on Friday.
“We are concerned about the situation of the people of Ukraine. What we would want to do is be in a position where we could continue to engage with both countries to persuade them towards peace.”
We are awaiting a refreshed legal opinion on the matter
— International relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor
South Africa has adopted a neutral stance on Russia’s war with Ukraine. The government’s position has drawn opprobrium from some of the country's biggest trading partners, including the US and the European Union, along with some of the nation’s biggest banks.
South Africa is unlikely to arrest any visiting head of state, said two officials at the foreign ministry who declined to be identified. The government and the ANC are considering all options in an effort to avoid executing the warrant, they said.
The Kremlin has yet to decide if Putin will travel to South Africa for the summit of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa group, Interfax reported, citing spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
South Africa drew international criticism in 2015 when it refused to execute an ICC arrest warrant for the then Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir while he was attending an African Union summit in the country.
— Bloomberg
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