South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that enforcing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "declaration of war."
Ramaphosa's warning comes as there are only weeks left before an international meeting that is set to take place in Johannesburg, where Putin is invited. However, the South African president noted that if Putin leaves Russian soil, he will become subject to the ICC's arrest warrant.
South Africa on Vladimir Putin's Arrest Warrant
The situation comes as South Africa is an ICC signatory, which means that it is required, by agreement, to help in Putin's arrest. However, the country's government has refused to uphold such an obligation, even in the past.
In 2015, South Africa allowed safe passage to Sudan's then-President Omar al-Bashir, who was wanted for war crimes against his people. In August, the Russian president was invited to South Africa, where the latter will host a summit for members of the BRICS countries, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as per BBC.
The biggest opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance, has already gone to court to force authorities to carry out an arrest warrant for Putin if he ever sets foot within the nation.
Additionally, court documents revealed that Ramaphosa is firmly against any such move, arguing that national security is at stake. In an affidavit, the South African president said the country has obvious issues executing Putin's arrest warrant.
Ramaphosa noted that Moscow has made it clear that arresting its sitting president would be akin to declaring war. He noted that it would be inconsistent with South Africa's Constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia.
Now, the South African government is seeking an exemption under ICC rules because enacting Putin's arrest warrant could threaten the country's security, peace, and order of the state, according to Yahoo News.
Akin to a Declaration of War
The ICC's arrest warrant over Putin alleges that the Russian strongman is guilty of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. In recent interviews, Deputy South African President Paul Mashatile said that the government has been looking to persuade Putin not to come but has been unsuccessful.
The situation over the enactment of Putin's arrest warrant follows diplomatic tensions with the West over South Africa's stance on Moscow's invasion of Kyiv. The nation has consistently avoided voting at the United Nations to condemn Russia's war, instead calling for dialogue to end the conflict.
Additionally, South Africa is part of efforts led by a group of at least six African countries who recently embarked on a peace mission to Kyiv and Moscow. They were set to meet with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the affidavit, Ramaphosa added that arresting Putin would most likely introduce a new complication that would foreclose any peaceful solution to the situation at hand. While the South African president has insisted on keeping the affidavit confidential, the court ruled on Tuesday that it can be made public, said the Associated Press.