South Africa Sparks Row with the US over Russian Cargo Plane Under Sanctions at Base
Tensions between Washington and Pretoria could increase over a Russian Cargo Plane having been under sanctions, that was allowed to land at Waterkloof air force base near Pretoria.1 The reason for sanctions against this plane is that it was shipping weapons for Russia’s defense force.2 The South African Department of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday that the plane had been delivering mail for the Russian embassy.3 South African officials have declined to say precisely what was loaded on to and what was taken off the plane.4 This all sounds suspicious. They have lied about knowing what was taken off the plane and taken to customs offices which could put pressure on South Africa’s relations with the US. This could decrease trust in diplomatic circles where South Africa is con...