President Cyril Ramaphosa held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss an African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia. The outcome of the talks regarding the relocation of the upcoming Brics summit to China remained undisclosed.
The conversation between the two heads of state touched upon the peace initiative led by African leaders in Ukraine and Russia. Additionally, the future Brics summit, involving Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was a topic of discussion. Speculation grew regarding the possibility of South Africa relinquishing its hosting duties to resolve Russia’s participation predicament.
The 15th Brics summit is anticipated to be a critical moment for South Africa, as it will serve as a platform for delegates from the bloc to strengthen political, social, and economic ties. However, concerns have overshadowed the preparations due to the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces allegations of war crimes from the International Criminal Court.
Being a signatory to the Rome Statute, South Africa is obligated to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country. The details of the phone conversation between Ramaphosa and Xi regarding the summit relocation remained ambiguous, leaving uncertainty about China’s willingness to host the event on behalf of South Africa as a resolution to the dilemma.