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South African ambassador's ouster highlights U.S. "diplomatic bullying": expert

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      South African ambassador's ouster highlights U.S. "diplomatic bullying": expert

      2025-03-17 21:42 Last Updated At:22:27

      ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The expulsion of South Africa's ambassador to the United States highlights "diplomatic bullying" by the new U.S. administration, which should be opposed by all African nations, said a South African political expert.

      U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool "persona non grata" on the social media platform X on Friday, giving him 72 hours to leave the United States, following an earlier speech in which Rasool criticized U.S. President Donald Trump.

      On Saturday, the South African president's office described the expulsion as "regrettable", calling for "diplomatic decorum" between the two nations.

      Patrick Bond, a political economist and expert on international relations at the University of Johannesburg's Department of Sociology, noted that the U.S. is discontented with South Africa's opposition to Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, fueled by Ambassador Rasool's candid criticism of Trump, which led to the escalating tension between the two countries.

      "The main friction between South Africa and the U.S. now goes back to early 2024, is the International Court of Justice case against Israel's genocide against Palestinians, and that would imply that the United States, the main supporter of Israel, is complicit in the genocide. So, the U.S. would like South Africa to withdraw the case. But most of the rest of the world wants South Africa to keep having leadership. U.S. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio said that ambassador from the South Africa to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, who is new in the job but he had served before, was not being diplomatic enough because he essentially accused Donald Trump of inspiring a worldwide movement of white racists," he said. 

      "That's the signal that they will be bullies, they will get away with it. They will throw out an ambassador for simply being honest. All the (African) continent should stand up against this bullying," the scholar added.

      South African ambassador's ouster highlights U.S. "diplomatic bullying": expert

      South African ambassador's ouster highlights U.S. "diplomatic bullying": expert

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      Russia shoots down Ukrainian drones; Ukraine continues defensive operations in Kursk

      2025-03-18 04:14 Last Updated At:06:17

      Russia announced on Monday that its forces shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones in the Kursk region, while Ukraine reported that its forces were conducting defensive operations as planned in Kursk.

      The Russian Defense Ministry specified in a statement that from 18:20 Sunday to 07:00 Monday, its air defense system shot down a total of 72 Ukrainian drones in many locations, including 36 over the Kursk Oblast.

      The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Monday morning that a total of 112 battles had taken place in frontline areas in the past 24 hours, including 14 battles in the Kursk region.

      In a media interview on Sunday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukraine was carrying out defensive operations in the Kursk region as planned, and the information that thousands of Ukrainian troops were surrounded was "incorrect."

      The Ukrainian National News Agency reported on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from Sudzha, a border city in the southwest of Kursk Oblast, less than 10 kilometers away from Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. The Ukrainian army used Sudzha as a major logistics hub to provide supplies to troops in nearby villages and towns.

      According to Russian media reports, the Ukrainian forces are still attacking Sudzha and surrounding areas with artillery and drones, in order to cover the withdrawal of the remaining troops.

      Russia shoots down Ukrainian drones; Ukraine continues defensive operations in Kursk

      Russia shoots down Ukrainian drones; Ukraine continues defensive operations in Kursk

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