“The war could have been avoided if NATO had heeded the warnings from amongst its own leaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would lead to greater, not less, instability in the region,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa charged yesterday in responding to a legislator during his questions in parliament. Nor will economic sanctions bring peace, he also argued.
South Africa does not “condone the use of force or violation of international law,” Ramaphosa told the parliament, but “it is important to understand and articulate the causes of the conflict, and advocate for peace building measures.” He elaborated: “While there are people within our country and elsewhere that want South Africa to adopt a more adversarial position, our position seeks to contribute to the creation of conditions that make the achievement of a durable resolution of the conflict possible.
“Our approach is informed by an analysis of the causes of this conflict. This includes a view shared by many leading scholars, politicians and other people, that the war could have been avoided if NATO had heeded the warnings from among its own leaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would lead to greater, not less, instability in the region….
