South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday that “anything short of self-determination and the recognition of the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people will not be acceptable and will not bring a just and lasting peace to the region.”
Speaking at the African National Congress’s 5th National General Council in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg, Ramaphosa expressed concern over Israel’s repeated violations of a ceasefire with Hamas that took effect Oct. 10.
“South Africa welcomed the ceasefire, which led to the return of hostages and the release of many Palestinian political prisoners. However, it is deeply concerning that Israel continues to breach the agreement almost daily,” Ramaphosa told party delegates.
He added that Israel’s actions in Gaza prompted the South African government to argue before the International Court of Justice that Israel is in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
South Africa filed the case at the ICJ in December 2023 following Israel’s bombings of Gaza and civilian casualties. Since then, the court has issued a series of provisional measures ordering Israel to take steps 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.
He said South Africa continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and meaningful negotiations toward the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state existing in peace alongside Israel.
“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 said.
Ramaphosa added that South Africa continues to participate in peace initiatives seeking a just resolution in Ukraine, citing the African leaders’ peace mission.
Two years ago, Ramaphosa led a delegation of African leaders to Russia and Ukraine to persuade both nations to engage in talks aimed at ending the war.
Thousands of people have been killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with millions displaced.
The African leaders’ delegation, made up of six heads of state and their representatives, traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and to Saint Petersburg to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
