War sets 'regrettable precedent'
20 March 2003
The South African government has called on the United Nations to assert its authority to ensure that any action against Iraq is within the rules of international humanitarian law.
In a statement after its meeting in Cape Town on Wednesday, the Cabinet reiterated its stance that war was not a solution to world problems, adding that the US military campaign in Iraq set a "regrettable precedent" which undermined the authority of the multilateral organisation in dealing with global affairs.
"More than at any other time, the current age of integrated global economies and relations requires integrated global governance", the Cabinet said.
Describing the military campaign as "a tragic consequence of the failure of negotiations and diplomacy", Cabinet said it was unfortunate that it would result in the loss of life of ordinary Iraqis and others involved in the conflict.
The United States' resort to force, Cabinet said, was "compounded
by the fact that progress was being made in dealing with the matter of the disarmament of Iraq with regard to any weapons of mass destruction.
"The government has examined contingency measures to deal with any adverse consequences of the possible actions in Iraq on South Africa, and it will ensure that, where possible, their impact is minimised."
The government decided earlier this week to evacuate non-essential staff from its Jordan embassy, and has set up an inter-departmental task team to address the evacuation of other missions in the region should this become necessary.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised South Africans not to visit the Gulf region, and has called on all South Africans visiting or working in the region to register their presence at their nearest South African embassy.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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