Cyril Ramaphosa calls for UN-led negotiation process to end Israel-Palestine conflict
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the international community has a responsibility to support peace, and create favourable conditions for negotiations amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the Cairo Peace Summit in Egypt on Saturday, where 12 state leaders gathered to discuss the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The war has been raging for over two weeks, with trucks carrying humanitarian aid allowed to enter the Gaza Strip for the first time on Saturday.
Ramaphosa called on all parties to exercise restraint and on all state actors to desist from providing weapons to either of the sides of the conflict.
“We call on all state actors to desist from providing weapons to both sides of the war.”
He explained why South Africa supports Palestine:
“We waged a brave and courageous struggle to achieve their freedom and were subjected to untold suffering just like the Palestinians are going through. But we had courageous leaders who were able to set aside their differences, ensued for peace, and were able to bring apartheid to an end.”
The President expressed concern that “the response of the Israeli government to the attack on its citizens will further deepen a conflict that has engulfed the region for many decades”, and that it could spread to other countries in the region.
Ramaphosa called for a United Nations-led negotiation process towards resolving the conflict.
“Only through a negotiated settlement supported by the international community can the people of Israel achieve the security they seek and the people of Palestine realise the freedom they deserve.”
As South Africa, we hold the firm view that the attack on civilians in Israel, the ongoing siege of Gaza and the decision to forcibly move the people of Gaza, together with the indiscriminate use of force through bombing, are violations of international law. More than that, these… pic.twitter.com/dC0MZGv18n
— Cyril Ramaphosa (@CyrilRamaphosa) October 21, 2023
-EWN
In other news – Video: Nkosazana Daughter hits the ‘Water Challenge’
Well-known Mzansi vocalist Nkosazana Daughter joined the trending Water challenge on TikTok. She has been making many headlines with her dancing, and she seems to be going on. She failed the bum-shaking ‘bhebha’ dance a few months ago, but fans found it funny on TikTok.
Whether she danced badly or even good, fans would find something interesting. With that, she had been joining most of the trending dance challenges that go viral on TikTok. Read More
