Brazil has assumed the presidency of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (ZOPACAS), an alliance of 24 countries, most of them African, committed to keeping the region free of war and geopolitical disputes while promoting environmental sustainability.

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira opened the meeting of the alliance’s ministers and deputy ministers Thursday (Apr. 9) in Rio de Janeiro, rejecting the “importation” of rivalries and conflicts that “have nothing to do with the interests of our peoples” and noting that the world is experiencing armed conflicts such as the wars in the Gaza Strip, Iran, Lebanon, and Ukraine.

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“Channels, gulfs, straits, seas, and oceans should bring us closer together, not be a source of discord,” declared the head of Brazilian diplomacy.

Mauro Vieira shared with the other international representatives that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had expressed concern about the current international scenario, “marked by the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II [1939–1945].”

Vieira echoed Lula’s view that the global rise in energy and food prices is the result of current tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East, “with a disproportionate impact on the economies of poorer and developing countries.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the zone of peace and cooperation is a priority for Brazil’s foreign policy, as the country was one of its founding members 40 years ago.

Among ZOPACAS’s main objectives are maintaining a South Atlantic free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as strengthening maritime security, including the fight against drug trafficking by sea, piracy, and illegal fishing.

In his speech, the minister also focused on environmental conservation. Vieira said Brazil plans to seek approval for the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary at the next meeting of the International Whaling Commission later this year.

He also announced that the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment in the South Atlantic would be signed by the end of the meeting on this Thursday (9), establishing, among other measures, provisions for the prevention, reduction, and control of marine pollution.

“The countries in our region are willing to make ambitious commitments in support of environmental protection and sustainable development,” the minister noted.

ZOPACAS

ZOPACAS - established in 1986 by the United Nations (UN) - comprises 24 countries: Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in South America, as well as 21 nations on Africa’s west coast, stretching from Senegal to South Africa and including the Cape Verde archipelago.

The meeting in Rio de Janeiro marks the start of Brazil’s three-year rotating presidency, succeeding that of Cape Verde.

In addition to partnerships in defense and security, the alliance seeks multilateral agreements in areas such as the environment and development.

Brazil has the longest coastline in the South Atlantic, stretching approximately 10,900 kilometers when geographical indentations such as bays are included. On the African side, the largest stretches belong to Angola and Namibia.

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, carried out one day after the ceasefire announced by Iran and the US in the Middle East.

“The intensification of this offensive follows last night’s announcement of a ceasefire in the armed conflict in the Middle East and threatens to plunge the region into a new escalation of violence and instability,” the ministry said in a statement. 

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The ministry notes that the attacks targeted extensive areas and left an initial toll of 254 dead and 1,165 wounded. The Brazilian government added that it defends Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Brazil urges Israel to immediately suspend its military actions and withdraw all its forces from Lebanese territory. It also calls on the parties involved to fully comply with the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006),” the statement reads.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council, calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon with the creation of a buffer zone between the two countries to be controlled by the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Ceasefire violated

Despite the ceasefire announced by the US and Iran, Israel has launched its largest offensive in Lebanon since the start of the current phase of the conflict. 

Iran has threatened to break the ceasefire due to Israeli aggression, emphasizing that the agreement called for a truce on all battlefronts in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump has stated that Lebanon was not part of the agreement, but the ceasefire mediator, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, confirmed that ending the fighting in Lebanon was part of the talks.

Countries such as France, the UK, Spain, and representatives of the European Union have been pressing for Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire agreement.

On Thursday, Lebanese President Masoud Pezershkian said that the continued attacks against Lebanon render negotiations to end the war “meaningless.”

Background

Israel’s airstrikes against Lebanon intensified with the outbreak of war in Iran, after Hezbollah resumed attacks against Israel on March 2.  

Hezbollah claimed it was acting in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Lebanon in recent months and in response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah dates back to the 1980s, when the Shiite militia was formed in reaction to Israel’s invasion and occupation of Lebanon to persecute Palestinian groups seeking refuge in the neighboring country.

In 2000, Hezbollah succeeded in expelling Israelis from the country. Over the years, the group has become a political party with seats in Parliament and participation in governments.

Lebanon was also attacked by the Israeli government in 2006, 2009, and 2011.