Foreign ministers from the Brics group of nations have gathered in South Africa and called for a rebalancing of the global order, moving away from Western nations. The group, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, aims to provide global leadership in a world marked by geopolitical tension, inequality, and global insecurity. The talks, however, were overshadowed by allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, with the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. South Africa, as a member of the court, would be obligated to arrest him if he attends a Brics summit in August.
Brics, seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group of developed nations, aims to address the economic concentration that leaves too many nations dependent on too few. The five countries collectively represent over 3.2 billion people, about 40% of the world’s population. The ministers emphasized the need to send a strong message that the world is multipolar and that old approaches cannot address new challenges. They also discussed expanding the group to provide assistance to developing countries and emerging market economies.
Protests greeted the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the meeting, with demonstrators accusing him of being a “child murderer” due to the ICC case against President Putin. South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has longstanding ties with Russia, and the country has refrained from criticizing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The South African government is now facing a diplomatic dilemma and is considering options such as moving the summit to another country. The final decision will be announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Source: BBC
