* Questions raised after S.African diplomatic gaffes
* Envoys talk of chaos, S.Africa hails achievements
* Durban aftermath could shape global opinion
By Jon Herskovitz
JOHANNESBURG, Dec 13 (Reuters) – Envoys at the global
climate conference ended on Sunday in Durban left late-night
sessions shaking their heads about their South African hosts,
saying in rather undiplomatic speech they had let the process go
off the rails.
Pretoria, however, hailed its diplomacy as a rousing
success, saying South Africa showed it could punch above its
weight in the global arena.
Such is the disconnect between South Africa, which sees
itself as an emerging power championing African causes, and
other nations which question its ability to keep pace with
global affairs.
The gap is expected to grow larger as Africa’s biggest
economy tries to exert more authority on the international stage
by pressing for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council
and having one of its former foreign ministers elected head of
the African Union.
South Africa has already found itself this year on the wrong
side of the mainstream argument over Libya and Ivory Coast.
Continued…
