On Monday 6 January 2020, International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Naledi Pandor expressed alarm at the escalating tension in the Middle East, saying the situation had far-reaching ramifications not only for the region but also for international peace and security.
Naledi’s alarm is based on the incident where, during the weekend, United States President Donald Trump ordered his military to assassinate Iranian general Qassim Soleimani at Iraq’s Baghad Airport, triggering worldwide condemnation of the dastardly crime.
“It is crucial for all sides to remain calm and desist from taking any further action that will exacerbate the already fragile situation,” the South African Minister said.
Pretoria reiterated the United Nations Security Council’s support for the “independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and prosperity of Iraq.”
South Africa recalled and reaffirmed the statement of the UN Security Council issued on 13 December 2019 in which the members “called for maximum restraint and urged all to refrain from violence or the destruction of critical infrastructure.”
“South Africa emphasises its principled view that conflicts should be resolved through political dialogue – rather than resorting to the use of force,” Pandor stated.
Since the assassination, all three sides – USA, Iraq and Iran – have been throwing social media statements back and forth, each country claiming the validity of its case as opposed to the others.
Baghdad went as far as voting in parliament to request that the US withdraw its soldiers from the country.
Trump retorted that his country’s troops would not leave until Iraq paid back the billions it cost to build US military bases in the Middle Eastern country following Washington’s 2003 unauthorised invasion of Iraq that ended in a sham trial and hanging of the late President Saddam Hussein.
– APA
