Archive document. Content preserved from the 2012–2017 ANC website for historical research. Read disclaimer
The ANC joined the global anti-war movement in opposing the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. South Africa, under President Thabo Mbeki, was a vocal critic of the invasion and a champion of multilateralism and respect for international law.
The ANC's opposition to the Iraq War was rooted in its long history of solidarity with peoples struggling against aggression and occupation, and in its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter. Mbeki argued that the invasion, conducted without UN Security Council authorisation, set a dangerous precedent for international relations.