Sunday Times
Friday, February 09, 2007
In his State of the Nation address, Mbeki noted that among the greatest achievements of the people of Africa in the past two-and-half years has been the restoration of peace in the Great Lakes Region.
"We are proud, as South Africans, of the role that our people have played in helping to bring this about - from the young men and women in our National Defence Force to employees of public and private institutions who gave of their time to ensure that the African dream finds practical realisation in the homeland of Patrice Lumumba," he said.
He added that South Africa would continue to work with the people of the DRC, as well as Burundi, the Comoros and Sudan in particular to ensure that the condition of peace and stability thus far attained translates without pause into concerted action for economic reconstruction and social development.
He added that the government would respond appropriately "and as our capacity permits", to the call of the African Union for assistance to Somalia.
"Critical in this regard are the initiatives under way to ensure that the protagonists within Somalia interact with one another to find a solution that is inclusive and practicable, based on the need to achieve national reconciliation," he added.
Mbeki added that this year the African Peer Review Forum would complete its review of South Africa.
"We will also take the necessary steps to implement the required program of action that will emerge as a result of the peer review process," he said.
"Similarly, we will continue to work with the rest of our continent and our development partners to speed up the implementation of the Nepad programs," he said.
Just over a month ago, South Africa started its tour of duty as a non- permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
He pledged that South Africa "will, in this most esteemed of multilateral bodies, do everything necessary further to contribute to international peace and security".
"In this regard we will also continue to engage the leaders of the peoples of Palestine, Israel, Iraq, Iran and other countries in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf."
"We shall also continue to strengthen our relations with other countries on the continent, our partners in India, Brazil and the People’s Republic of China, other countries of the South, as well as Japan, Europe and North America," he said.
Source: Sunday Times, Feb 09, 2007