Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has returned from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, after attending the 25th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Brazzaville Accord on Peace in Southern Africa.
The celebrations coincided with the release of former President Nelson Mandela from prison on 11 February 1990.
Zuma used the anniversary of the signing of the accord, which ended civil war in Angola and paved the way for independence in Namibia, to thank the Congo Brazzaville for hosting the “long and painful talks”.
"We will forever be grateful and indebted to the people of Africa who contributed to liberation of our people," said Zuma.
He lamented that peace remained elusive in many parts of Africa.
“It is important for all our nations in our continent to introspect about what remains to be done in order to achieve stability, prosperity and unity of purpose. Let us not forget our neighbours in the Central African Republic and the South Sudan and hope that they can draw inspiration from the historic accord we are celebrating.”
The accord, he added, also indicates the friendship and cooperation that exists among African countries which fought together for independence and democracy and are now also united in the struggle for Africa's reconstruction and development.
The Congo-Brazaville Protocol was signed in 1988 after the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. This was after the SA Defence Force invaded Angola trying to oust the MPLA-led government.
But the Cuban government and other liberation movements from the region, including the ANC, joined to help Angola.
This war saw the apartheid government leaving Angola, paving the way for Namibia's independence as well as the unbanning of the ANC and the release of Nelson Mandela.
The 25th anniversary of the peace agreement was last December but was postponed when Mandela passed away.
Zuma used his speech to pay homage to the late former President, saying his spirit of resilience and reconciliation will forever be felt.
“His legacy of a free, united and developed Africa will continue to inspire us. We should continue to be inspired by his vision for peace and a prosperous Africa that is an equal partner in world affairs.” – SAnews.gov.za
