Namibia and South Africa call for peace

Namibia and South Africa have called for the international community to settle ongoing conflicts across the world, including the independence of Western Sahara and the implementation of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

The two southern African neighbours that are set to host their bi-annual commission meeting in Windhoek on Friday, have reiterated their support for the people of Western Sahara and Palestine.

They further called for lasting solutions to conflicts in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Russia-Ukraine war.

South African Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Angela Thokozile Didiza, stressed that the continued acts of aggression and the loss of life cannot continue unabated.

‘We renew our call for all parties to adhere to the United Nations resolutions and expedite the implementation of a two-state solution to bring about lasting and durable peace,’ Didiza said, referencing the escalated tensions between Palestine and Israe
l.

‘In the same breath, we take this opportunity to amplify our support for the rights of the people of Western Sahara in their continued quest for self-determination,’ she said. Didiza said South Africa supports the implementation of the decisions and resolutions of the SADC Solidarity Conference with Western Sahara that was held in March 2019.

The minister was speaking on Thursday during the opening of the ministerial meeting of the third session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-Annual Commission in Windhoek.

In the same vein, Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, commended Namibia and South Africa’s support for the independence of Western Sahara.

‘We welcome continued efforts by Namibia and South Africa to ensure that the SADC region maintains a progressive position in support of the pursuit of self-determination in Western Sahara. We must not allow this vital issue to take a back seat. We must continue and redouble our efforts and
raise every possible avenue of awareness through all platforms for the plight of the Sahrawi people,’ Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

‘Of course, we cannot neglect to mention our grave concerns about the ongoing conflicts underway in the DRC, Mozambique, Palestine/Israel and Ukraine/Russia. We commend the ongoing efforts in finding a peaceful and lasting solution to these unfortunate conflicts.’

Source: The Namibian Press Agency