South Africa says no peace without Palestinian self-determination
Speaking at the 5th National General Council of the African National Congress (ANC) in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg, Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern over what he described as repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which took effect on October 10.
“South Africa welcomed the agreement on a ceasefire that resulted in the return of hostages and the release of many Palestinian political prisoners. However, there is a matter of greater concern that Israel is breaking the ceasefire almost on a daily basis,” Ramaphosa said.
He highlighted Israel’s actions in Gaza, noting that they prompted South Africa to bring a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that Israel violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention. The country initiated the ICJ case in December 2023 following Israeli bombings in Gaza that killed civilians, leading the court to issue provisional measures directing Israel to prevent acts of genocide.
“Since the onslaught began on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 70,000 people are known to have been killed in Gaza, most of whom are women and children,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African leader reiterated his country’s call for an immediate ceasefire and meaningful negotiations to establish a sovereign Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel.
Ramaphosa also drew attention to other global conflicts, stating, “We must (also) be concerned about the horrific suffering caused by the civil war in Sudan, in which more than 150,000 people are reported to have died.”
He noted South Africa’s continued involvement in international peace efforts, including initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Two years ago, Ramaphosa led a delegation of African leaders to Russia and Ukraine to encourage talks to end the war. The group met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, addressing the widespread casualties and displacement caused by the conflict.
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