SA calls for calm in Iraq
The South African government says it is alarmed by the escalating tension in Iraq which it says "has far-reaching ramifications not only for the Middle East region, but also for international peace and security."
On Friday, US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, in an attack on Baghdad's international airport.
The move sparked fears of all-out war as Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of "severe revenge" for "the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood", while the country's foreign minister called the move a "dangerous escalation."
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In a statement, the SA government said it recalls and reaffirms the statement of the United Nations Security Council issued on 13 December 2019, in which the members of the Security Council had “called for maximum restraint and urged all to refrain from violence or the destruction of critical infrastructure”.
Responding to these developments, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor stated, “It is crucial for all sides to remain calm and desist from taking any further action that will exacerbate the already fragile situation.
"South Africa emphasises its principled view that conflicts should be resolved through political dialogue rather than resorting to the use of force”.
Government reiterated it's stance that South Africa supports the UN Security Council’s in faovur of “independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and prosperity of Iraq”.