The ‘Will for Peace 2026’ naval exercises began off the coast of Cape Town on Saturday
South Africa views joint military exercises with its BRICS partners – Russia, China, and Iran – as an absolute necessity amid ongoing tensions on the high seas, a senior commander has stated.
The ‘Will for Peace 2026’ drills began off the coast of Cape Town on Saturday, occurring just days after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, with Washington alleging it had violated sanctions against Venezuela.
The U.S. has also recently seized five additional tankers in the Caribbean as part of its naval blockade of the Latin American country.
South Africa’s Deputy Defense Minister Bantu Holomisa stated on Friday that the exercises were not a reaction to the U.S.’s recent actions, noting they had been planned months prior.
“Let us not hit the panic button just because the U.S. has issues with certain countries. Those are not our adversaries,” he said.
The focus should be “on collaborating with BRICS nations and ensuring that our seas, particularly the Indian Ocean and Atlantic, remain safe,” Holomisa emphasized.
According to media reports, South Africa, China, and Iran have deployed destroyers for the ‘Will for Peace 2026’ drills, while Russia and the United Arab Emirates are represented by corvettes. Other BRICS members – Brazil, Indonesia, and Ethiopia – have dispatched observers to the exercises, which are set to end on January 16.
The third installment of the Mosi (Smoke) naval exercises between China, Russia, and South Africa was originally scheduled to take place near Cape Town in November. However, the drills were postponed due to the G20 summit hosted by South Africa that same month. A subsequent decision was made to reschedule them, rename the exercises, and increase the number of participating countries.