Pretoria - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has cautioned that any attempt to arrest Vladimir Putin during his visit to South Africa would be tantamount to declaring war against Russia. With an international meeting scheduled in Johannesburg, to which the Russian President is invited, the situation poses a challenge as Putin is subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant if he leaves Russian soil.

South Africa, being an ICC signatory, is obligated to assist in his arrest. However, the country has previously failed to uphold this obligation, providing safe passage to Sudan's then-President Omar al-Bashir in 2015, who was wanted for war crimes.

President Putin has been invited to South Africa in August for the Brics summit, a gathering of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group. South Africa's opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has taken legal action to force authorities to arrest Putin should he enter the country.

President Ramaphosa, however, opposes such a move, citing national security concerns. He revealed that Russia has asserted arresting its sitting president would be a declaration of war, leading South Africa to avoid such a risk, considering it inconsistent with their constitution.

Moreover, South Africa is actively engaged in talks with Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war. Attempting to arrest Putin could hinder these efforts, making it counter-productive. African nations' reluctance to back UN resolutions condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine stems from various reasons, including historical ties, economic interests, and reliance on Russian support in combating challenges like jihadist groups.

Notably, South Africa's economic ties with Russia include significant donations to the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), from a sanctioned Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg.