South Africa unveils joint naval drills with Russia, China for second time
- The maritime exercise between the three countries will take place from February 17 to 27 off the port city of Durban
- South Africa, which recently assumed chairmanship of the BRICS group, has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
South Africa, which has resisted taking sides following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announced on Thursday that it will stage 10-day joint maritime drills with Russia and China next month.
“As (a) means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China, a multinational maritime exercise between these three countries ... will take place,” the army said.
The exercises dubbed “Mosi”, which translates to “smoke” in the local Tswana language, are scheduled for February 17 to 27, off the port city of Durban and Richards Bay.
It will be the second such exercise involving the three naval forces, the South African National Defence Force said. The first was held in November 2019 off Cape Town.
More than 350 South African army personnel will take part “alongside the Russian and Chinese counterparts, with an aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge”, the army said.
South Africa recently assumed the chairmanship of the BRICS, a grouping that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and China to challenge the dominant US- and European-led global governance structures.