The day before a four-day humanitarian truce was agreed upon in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, leaders of the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – held an extraordinary virtual summit to discuss the ongoing conflict.
The emergency meeting was the first time the bloc had convened to discuss the war. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, China’s President Xi Jinping and leaders from nations invited to join the group next year were all present.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the summit and during his opening remarks called the attack of Palestinian civilians by Israel a “war crime”, adding that Hamas “has violated international law”.
“The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide,” Ramaphosa said.
While BRICS released a joint statement calling for “an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities”, not all leaders were as emphatic as Ramaphosa in his condemnation.
Solidarity
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for example, was not present and has been vocal about the country’s solidarity with Israel since fighting began.
Modi nominated Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to deliver an address that acknowledged the international community’s efforts in “de-escalation”.
Xi called for an immediate cease-fire saying: “The root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the fact that the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored.”
Putin went a step further to say BRICS could play a vital role in finding a solution to the conflict.
The body, which invited Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates to join earlier this year, is working to expand its reach and influence within the global economy.
The joint statement, while seemingly a sign of a united front, does not equate to a declaration. The reasons for the absence of a declaration are unclear, with Ramaphosa saying members ran out of time.
But the slight divergence in responses from leaders during the emergency summit, coupled with their failure to reach an agreement, may point to just how much power the West holds in the Global South.
While some have argued that the summit signals a greater assertiveness from emerging economies, it is clear that fissures within the bloc remain in place.
Understand Africa’s tomorrow… today
We believe that Africa is poorly represented, and badly under-estimated. Beyond the vast opportunity manifest in African markets, we highlight people who make a difference; leaders turning the tide, youth driving change, and an indefatigable business community. That is what we believe will change the continent, and that is what we report on. With hard-hitting investigations, innovative analysis and deep dives into countries and sectors, The Africa Report delivers the insight you need.
