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Mideast: SA ready to intervene
30/07/2006 19:17 - (SA)
Pretoria - South Africa is ready to intervene in the Middle East if called on to do so in support of the peace initiatives of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday.
He added that South Africa would support any UN effort to achieve an immediate ceasefire.
"An essential element is that we end the hostilities now and then we could deal with the other issues later."
Addressing reporters in Pretoria after a three-day cabinet conference, Mbeki said he was keenly watching Monday's meeting of the UN security council on the way forward.
"We'll be watching what happens at the security council with effect from tomorrow in terms of the statements made by (US) President (George) Bush and (British) Prime Minister (Tony) Blair," Mbeki said.
Contact with all parties
"We'd watch that because normally we are in regular contact with the Palestinians, the Israelis, the Lebanese, the Iranians all the people that have been mentioned as being relevant to this conflict.
"If it seems that as a consequence of the security council process it would be necessary for us to intervene in one way or another, we would," Mbeki said.
However, he cautioned against too many initiatives to end the latest outbreak of war in the Middle East.
"You may have seen at some point that a number of foreign ministers, mainly European, descended upon this part of the world, Lebanon, Israel and so on. It was good they were showing concern but it was our view that it is important not to have too many initiatives here because this could create crossed lines and all sorts of problems," Mbeki added.
Lebanon overshadowing Gaza
Mbeki also warned that the fighting in Lebanon was overshadowing the conflict in Gaza, where hostilities continued.
"We are concerned that this conflict does not result in our forgetting the conflict that is affecting Palestine. The violence affecting the Palestinian people has continued," he said.
"In that regard it is necessary to stop that conflict and we support the view expressed by the President of Palestine Mahmud Abbas that there should be formed in Palestine a government of national unity, that there should be a cessation of hostilities, and a preparation for the reopening of negotiations between Israel and Palestine," Mbeki said.
He also announced that his government would launch a joint initiative with South African civil society to channel humanitarian aid to the conflict zone.
- AFP
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