Dirco’s warning on Syria: ‘We need to make sure we don’t see another Libya emerging’

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has called for dialogue over the change of the government in Syria, warning that tensions could escalate and lead to a situation similar to that seen in Libya after the civil war in 2011.

Following the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country descended into chaos, marked by political fragmentation, prolonged violence, and competing factions vying for control.

This instability left Libya vulnerable to external interference, with lasting consequences for its governance and security.

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Dirco says it ‘doesn’t want to see another Libya created’

Speaking on 702 on Tuesday, Dirco’s Director General Zane Dangor expressed concern about the parallels between the situations in Libya and Syria.

“We hope that this does not create another Libya or another Afghanistan,” Dangor said.

He also warned that the sovereignty of Syria is at risk, amid fears of efforts to split the country into two territories.

“There is no justification for that. We criticise it in Russia, we criticise it in Palestine, and we cannot have a situation with some international legal norms of war.”

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Efforts in reviving peace talks

Dangor highlighted the need for a collective effort to revive peace talks, noting that the last significant international discussion on Syria occurred during a security conference in 2018.

“We need to put this back on the agenda and find ways of ensuring that we don’t have [another Libya],” he said.

According to Dangor, multiple actors are involved in Syria’s conflict. He said Dirco is calling for renewed multilateral engagements to prevent further destabilisation.

Impact on South Africa

Early on Sunday, after a week of battles against President Bashar al-Assad’s soldiers, Syrian rebels overthrew the government that had ruled the country for more than five decades.

Professor Alex van den Heever of the Wits University School of Governance told The Citizen that South Africa will be impacted indirectly by the overthrow of the Assad administration.

“I don’t think South Africa had strong relationships with any of the affected parties, but it’s more perceptual.

“So for instance, Russia is a country that is affected so that forms part of the Brics arrangement.

“Iran which has been introduced into the Brics arrangement would also be severely affected. But the whole Middle East configuration is likely to change and this is going to create new dynamics,” Van den Heever said.

Additional reporting by Faizel Patel

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