South Africa on Friday urged the United Nations Security Council to convene urgently following what it described as a “large-scale military strike” by the United States in Venezuela, warning that unilateral force threatens global stability.
In a media statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria said it viewed the reported US operation — which Washington has confirmed — as a serious breach of international law.
The statement said the United States had carried out “a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been captured along with his wife and flown out of the country.”
South Africa said such actions amount to “a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations,” stressing that the charter requires member states to refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty and political independence of any country.
“The Charter does not authorise external military intervention in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of a sovereign nation,” the statement said.
Pretoria warned that history shows foreign military invasions often worsen crises rather than resolve them. “History has repeatedly demonstrated that military invasions against sovereign states yield only instability and deepening crisis,” it said, adding that unlawful unilateral force undermines the international order and equality among nations.
South Africa called on the Security Council, which bears primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, “to urgently convene to address this situation.”
The statement was issued on January 3 by the government’s international relations department, with spokesperson Crispin Phiri listed for enquiries.
