South Africa does not recognize the sanctions imposed by Western countries against Russia bypassing the UN, the South African presidency said.
According to media reports, South Africa last week chartered a Russian Il-76 aircraft to deliver military cargo to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The plane belongs to Aviacon Zitotrans, which is under US and UK sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.
The South African contingent is deployed in the eastern DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping force to improve the situation in the region, which has been destabilized by rebels, mainly those of the March 23 Movement (M23).
The M23 was formed in 2012. It launced a new campaign in eastern DRC in January 2021, capturing several towns and villages in the country's North Kivu province.