South Africa's opinion matters; analyst Steven Gruzd has no doubt about that. "South Africa is an important player on the international stage and especially in Africa. It is sought after by other countries," the program director for African Governance and Diplomacy at the South African Institute of International Affairs told DW. "It certainly is a strong advocate for issues that are relevant to Africa — be it trade, or conflict or humanitarian issues."

South Africa strives for peaceful conflict resolution, both within Africa — such as in the 2022 civil war in the Ethiopian region of Tigray — but also worldwide. In the war between Russia and Ukraine, South Africa tried to take a leading role as a mediator; President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy and traveled to Kyiv and Moscow with an African delegation for talks in June 2023.

The country has also maintained its neutral stance. South Africa and Russia have had close ties since the Cold War, which has led to its consistent abstention from many United Nations General Assembly votes, a choice that many Western states find incomprehensible.

South Africa also caused a stir during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, accusing Israel of genocide against the........

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