President Putin poses arrest dilemma to the South African government

Pretoria has given reasons why it believes it doesn’t need to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, should he decide to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa in August. However, premier of the DA-controlled Western Cape, Alan Winde, plans to have President Putin arrested at Cape Town International Airport should he arrive there. According to […]

South Africa mulls options after ICC’s Putin arrest order

The International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating a diplomatic headache for South Africa in the lead-up to August’s BRICS summit, which Russia’s president has been invited to in the country. In an interview with Voice of America, Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the SAIIA, Steven […]

South Africa’s vision: non-alignment and respect

Senior Researcher at the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Gustavo de Carvalho, discusses South Africa’s position of ‘non-alignment’ on the Ukraine conflict, as well as the continent’s strategic relations with Russia, China and the European Union. Read his full interview with Inside Over below.

With G20 in India, Global South addresses West

Ahead of the G20 Summit in India, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came under the spotlight. In this Deutsche Welle article  Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), says the war acted as a catalyst for almost all of the other issues that South Africa and other countries in the […]

How Ukraine war has turned Africa into a geopolitical battleground for China, Russia and US

The Russia and Ukraine war has disrupted supply chains and cut access to affordable wheat and fertiliser from the Black Sea region, worsening food crises in African countries. Senior Researcher at the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Gustavo de Carvalho, says “the conflict has created geopolitical sensitivities […]

South Africa risks backlash for Russian naval exercises, but its history with Moscow runs deep

South Africa’s participation in a 10-day naval exercise involving Russia has sparked widespread criticism. Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs, Steven Gruzd, spoke to CNN about the timing of these exercises and their consequences for South Africa around the time of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read the […]

South Africa’s naval exercise with Russia, China raises Western alarm

South Africa’s decision to participate in naval exercises with Russia and China has been criticised domestically, with some fears that the drills will hurt important ties with countries in the West. In this Reuters article, Steven Gruzd, Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs, says exercises […]

Weapons and propaganda: how big is Russia’s influence in Africa?

Russia has expanded its influence in African countries in recent years; however, the South African Institute of International Affairs’ (SAIIA) Steven Gruzd cautions that the country’s influence should not be exaggerated in this Red Press article.  In recent years, Russian media have expanded to include French and Arabic channels, which Gruzd argues is Russia’s attempt […]