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WORLD NEWS Saturday 30 december 2023

South Africa launches case at top U.N. court accusing Israel of

genocide in Gaza

By MIKE CORDER istry said in a statement
Associated Press that the country is “gravely
THE HAGUE, Nether- concerned with the plight
lands (AP) — South Africa of civilians caught in the
launched a case Friday present Israeli attacks on
at the United Nations’ top the Gaza Strip due to the
court accusing Israel of indiscriminate use of force
genocide against Pales- and forcible removal of in-
tinians in Gaza and asking habitants.”
the court to order Israel to The ministry added that
halt its attacks. Israel swiftly there are “ongoing reports
rejected the filing “with dis- of international crimes,
gust.” such as crimes against hu-
South Africa’s submission to manity and war crimes, be-
the International Court of ing committed as well as
Justice alleges that “acts reports that acts meeting
and omissions by Israel ... the threshold of genocide
are genocidal in charac- or related crimes as de-
ter” as they are committed fined in the 1948 Conven-
with the intent “to destroy tion on the Prevention and
Palestinians in Gaza” as a Punishment of Genocide,
part of the broader Pales- have been and may still be
tinian national, racial and committed in the context
ethnic group. View of the Peace Palace which houses World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, on Sept. 19, of the ongoing massacres
South Africa has been a 2023. in Gaza.”
fierce critic of Israel’s mili- Associated Press South Africa’s president
tary campaign in Gaza. earlier accused Israel of
Many there including Presi- ahead, will take years, but whose Oct. 7 attack in Convention because both war crimes and acts “tan-
an interim order could be southern Israel triggered it and Israel are signatories
dent Cyril Ramaphosa tamount to genocide.”
have compared Israel’s issued within weeks. the ongoing war in Gaza. to it. And South Africa last month
The Israeli government re-
Whether the case will suc-
The statement also said Is-
policies regarding Palestin- pushed for the International
ians in Gaza and the West jected “with disgust” the rael operates according ceed in halting the war Criminal Court, which also
genocide
accusations, to international law and remains to be seen. While
Bank with South Africa’s is based in The Hague, to
past apartheid regime of calling it a “blood libel.” A focuses its military actions the court’s orders are le- investigate Israel’s actions
Foreign Ministry statement solely against Hamas, add-
gally binding, they are not
racial segregation. in Gaza.
South Africa asked the said South Africa’s case ing that the residents of always followed. In March The ICC prosecutes individ-
lacks a legal foundation Gaza are not an enemy. It 2022, the court ordered
Hague-based court to issue uals for war crimes, crimes
an interim order for Israel and constitutes a “vile ex- asserted that it takes steps Russia to halt hostilities in against humanity and
to minimize harm to civilians Ukraine, a binding legal rul-
ploitation and cheapen-
to immediately suspend its genocide, while the Inter-
military operations in Gaza. ing” of the court. and to allow humanitarian ing that Moscow flouted as national Court of Justice
Israel also accused South aid to enter the territory.
it pressed ahead with its at-
A hearing into that request settles disputes between
is likely in the coming days Africa of cooperating with South Africa can bring the tacks. nations.q
Hamas, the militant group case under the Genocide South Africa’s foreign min-
or weeks. The case, if it goes
Argentina formally announces it won’t join the BRICS alliance in
Milei’s latest policy shift

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Argentina formally announced Friday that it won’t join the BRICS
bloc of developing economies, the latest in a dramatic shift in foreign and economic
policy by Argentina’s new far-right populist President Javier Milei.
In a letter addressed to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa all
members of the alliance Milei said the moment was not “opportune” for Argentina to
join as a full member. The letter was dated a week ago, Dec. 22, but released by the
Argentine government on Friday, the last working day of 2023.
Argentina was among six countries invited in August to join the bloc made up of Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa to make an 11-nation bloc. Argentina was set to
join Jan. 1, 2024.
The move comes as Argentina has been left reeling by deepening economic crisis.
Milei’s predecessor, former center-left president Alberto Fernandez, endorsed joining
the alliance as an opportunity to reach new markets. The BRICS currently account for
about 40% of the world’s population and more than a quarter of the world’s GDP.
But economic turmoil left many in Argentina eager for change, ushering chainsaw-
wielding political outsider Milei into the presidency. President-elect Javier Milei waves during a joint session
Milei, who defines himself as an “anarcho-capitalist” a current within liberalism that of Congress to officially declare him and his running mate
winners of the presidential runoff election, in Buenos Aires,
aspires to eliminate the state has implemented a series of measures to deregulate the Argentina, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023.
economy, which in recent decades has been marked by strong state interventionism.q Associated Press