US Lawmakers Demand Summit Change Due to South Africa's Russia Ties
A group of US lawmakers wants to change the location of a trade summit between the US and Africa because they believe South Africa is getting too close to Russia militarily.
A group of US lawmakers wants to change the location of a trade summit between the US and Africa because they believe South Africa is getting too close to Russia militarily. They sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials, expressing their concerns and suggesting that South Africa could lose its benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is a trade program between the US and African countries. South Africa is set to host the AGOA Forum, where African leaders and US officials will discuss the future of the program. South Africa is one of the top beneficiaries of AGOA, with exports worth nearly $1 billion in the first three months of this year. The lawmakers are worried that hosting the forum in South Africa would be seen as supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, the South African government denies any decision to move the forum and claims neutrality in the Ukraine conflict. The lawmakers are also concerned about South Africa's joint naval operations with China and Russia, as well as their invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit, despite his charges of war crimes. They also support the accusation made by the US ambassador that a Russian ship collected weapons at a South African naval base, which South African officials deny and are investigating independently.
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