Ann Eveleth
Deputy President Thabo Mbeki avoided confrontation with French President Jacques Chirac over France’s controversial nuclear testing programme and its handling of the recent Comoros coup during a state visit to Paris this week.
Mbeki made the official state visit at Chirac’s invitation to discuss a financial protocol and an agreement on the protection and promotion of investments.
Mbeki’s representative, Ricky Naidoo, said nuclear testing had only come up “as a general issue” when the two leaders met. The Comoros had not been discussed.
Asked about the content of the nuclear discussion, Naidoo said: “South Africa’s position on nuclear testing is very well known.”
South Africa — somewhat of a leader in nuclear control since it became the first country to destroy all its nuclear weapons willingly — is at odds with France over the testing, and questions have also been raised about France’s apparent lack of consultation with South Africa, as a regional power, before it crushed the Comoros coup led by Bob Denard.
South African Institute of International Affairs studies director Greg Mills said he was surprised at the limited agenda of the meeting: “It comes as a great surprise given not only the Comoros coup, but also Rwanda last year, that the perpetuation of France’s hands-on Africa policy would not feature on the agenda. It would also come as a surprise — if not a disappointment — given South Africa’s commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, if France’s continued nuclear testing programme was not discussed.”