South Africa, Sri Lanka look to boost relations

Pretoria: Following several decades of civil war, South Africa is encouraging Sri Lanka to pursue an inclusive political settlement for national reconciliation and economic reconstruction.

This is the message that International Relations Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim, who is currently on a working visit to Sri Lanka, has taken with him.

Ebrahim is there at the invitation of the government of Sri Lanka. His visit takes place within the context of recent political developments in Sri Lanka and within the context of deepening South-South cooperation.

“South Africa is of the view that domestic accountability issues must first and foremost be sought at the national level. It remains the sovereign responsibility of States to determine what their judicial mechanisms are in ensuring accountability,” International Relations said on Thursday.

Pretoria indicated that it has taken note of the Report of the United Nations Panel of Experts to advise UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on accountability issues related to the last stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended in May 2009.

“South Africa will in due course study the recommendations flowing from the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,” the department said.

Sri Lanka is trying to rebuild itself after Government forces declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 after a conflict that had raged on and off for nearly three decades and killed thousands of people.

The conflict ended with large numbers of Sri Lankans living as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially in the north of the island country.

Pretoria’s relations with Sri Lanka remain cordial but there is great potential for even stronger ties between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka were formally established on 12 September 1994 through the exchange of Diplomatic Notes.