Internally displaced Palestinians at a makeshift camp built among the rubble in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 03 August 2024. Since 07 October 2023, up to 1.7 million people, or more than 75 percent of the population, have been displaced throughout the Gaza Strip, some more than once, in search of safety, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Picture: EPA-EFE/HAITHAM IMAD
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) says it is doing much to promote the reaching of sustainable peace agreements in conflicts in Africa, Ukraine and Gaza.
Deputy minister Anna Thandi Moraka was answering questions at a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) plenary on Thursday.
Moraka was standing in for Minister Ronald Lamola, who was returning from China at the time.
The ANC’s Onica Medupe asked, “Whether, in light of South Africa’s critical role in the mediation of the Ukraine-Russian war, the Israeli-Palestinian war, and other conflicts in some parts of Africa, there are any plans to intensify South Africa’s intervention in such conflicts; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details?”
In response, Deputy Minister Moraka said South Africa’s foreign policy is always “based on the principles of human rights, solidarity and progressive internationalism”.
“We are of the view that irrespective of whether the use of force by any country is lawful or unlawful within the prescripts of international law, the use of force is never in any way a wise decision,” she said.
Moraka said there are no winners in wars and invariably, conflicts lead to more conflicts later when root issues are not dealt with.
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She said the department continues to advocate for conflicts to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
However, it does not mean the government favours a ‘peace at any cost’ approach, as this can also lead to never-ending cycles of violence and repression.
“We take an approach that the resolution of conflicts must lead to what is referred to a ‘just peace mechanism’.”
This includes peaceful processes that do not neglect justice where necessary while considering reconciliation.
She said South Africa had played a significant role in guiding peaceful talks with these ends in mind, between Russia and Ukraine especially.
“This includes negotiating agreements as the G20 that are continuously putting them under pressure that they need a just peace mechanism… that requires that we respect territorial integrity of Ukraine and that the international legal prohibition on the acquisition of land through the use of force must be adhered to in Ukraine and in all other war and conflict situations.”
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Medupe’s follow-up question asked what were South Africa’s concrete results for peace-building in Africa, Gaza and Ukraine.
The deputy minister responded that the SA government, through Dirco, engages in conflict resolution initiatives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union and United Nations.
They engage in conflict resolution through bilateral channels, including high-level visits, Moraka said.
“South Africa would also go to an extra mile of deploying its special envoys and the use of its diplomatic representation to create a conducive mediation environment through confidence-building measures… at embassies throughout the world.”
Programmes have been run to train mediators, she said.
One programme is the Women’s Mediations Network, which allows women to play a role in a historically patriarchal African context.
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