Reports: US ambassador accuses South Africa of providing arms to Russia

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December, according to South African media reports.

Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the U.S. was certain that weapons were loaded onto the vessel at the Simon's Town naval base and then transported to Russia, according to the reports carried by multiple South African news outlets.

Brigety said South Africa's alleged arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine was “extremely serious” and called into question South Africa's supposed neutral stance in the conflict.

“Among the things we (the U.S.) noted was the docking of the cargo ship in the Simon’s Town Naval Base between the 6th and 8th December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” Brigety was quoted as saying to reporters during a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria.