Cape Town – International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo says the only resolution to the instability in Syria can only be through negotiations between government, opposition parties and concerned stakeholders.
The Deputy Minister also condemned the latest bombings in Tartous and Jableh along Syria’s Mediterranean coast that reportedly claimed the lives of 78 people.
The Deputy Minister said this when she briefed the media in Cape Town following her visit to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
“At the moment, what might be the final solution is only if all of us support the Geneva negotiations that have been initiated by Russia and America.
“…there is a likelihood for that to be derailed because there are forces that want more than a peaceful resolution, their main aim is a regime change.
“We are hoping with the resilience of the Syrian people, including the opposition, they will call on those two cities, the major players, to again revive the negotiations for this challenge to be sorted sooner rather than later,” the Deputy Minister said on Tuesday.
While there are many conflicting media reports on the true state of affairs in terms of the Syrian conflict, the Deputy Minister said after speaking to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the official opposition parties, the UN envoy to Syria and NGOs carrying out humanitarian work in the region, amongst others, the narrative that the Syrian government is attacking its own people was not true.
She said there appears to be external forces that are trying to use their own tactics to effect regime change.
The Deputy Minister said after flying into Damascus – Syria’s capital – she was met with a very vibrant city where residents went about their business as usual, which showed that the Syrian conflict was not that of a civil nature.
“To our surprise, also because of what we understood to be happening there, restaurants were full. There are restaurants that are open till late. Restaurants were packed and people were going about their business,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said she stayed in the Capital, which was also hit by bomb attacks previously, for three days.
“The three days we stayed in Damascus, if we didn’t know there was war somewhere, we would think everything is fine because Damascus, the Capital, is operating [optimally].
“In our discussions, we were told about areas of conflict where in Aleppo, for instance, where I am sure you will know that only yesterday, there was an attack by ISIS that left more than 78 people dead in that area and other areas.
“…and really we condemn this terrorist attack in the strongest terms because part of what we heard from both the opposition and the government is Syria’s conflict is not a conflict as the narrative says, it is not a conflict with the people of Syria, there are armed forces that each of them belong to different countries – others their neighbours and others even far from their neighbours - who are coming and saying they are coming with the defence of their opposition there,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said she also used the visit to pay a courtesy call to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, where she conveyed a message of support from President Jacob Zuma and the people of South Africa.
She said after all her meetings, she was hopeful that there will be a solution to the Syrian challenges.
Meanwhile, the Minister said the visit to the region, which is characterised by instability, was to also strengthen bilateral and economic relations with SA’s trade partners in the region.
She said she also paid a visit to Palestinians who are based in Damascus and Jordan to share SA’s consistent calls for their independence.
“We hold a view that all communities and the institution of global governance honour their recorded international resolve and commitment to the question of Palestine and this is what they share and they appreciated our continued solidarity with them,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
