Presidents Ramaphosa and Macron condemn instability, security issues in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa and his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, have condemned the instability and security issues on the continent.

Macron arrived in South Africa on Friday to hold talks with Ramaphosa on the COVID-19 pandemic, trade and the worsening conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.

The French president arrived in South Africa from a historic visit to Rwanda, where he acknowledged French responsibility in the 1994 genocide and pleaded for forgiveness.

He also discussed the violent retaliation by insurgents in northern Mozambique where French energy giant, Total, withdrew its operations following deadly attacks which affected both South African and French nationals.

Macron said that France was willing to support diplomatic interventions if Mozambique requested it.

“On this matter, we are well aware that Mozambique is dealing with jihadist groups which are currently threatening the security of the region, in particular in Cabo Delgado. France is available but the heart of the answer, it should be an African response at the request of Mozambique and coordinated with the neighbouring countries,” Macron said.

Ramaphosa echoed the same sentiments, saying that the Mozambique region remained under observation by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) community.

“The SADC stands ready to assist Mozambique to ward off these insurgents. We also deliberated on Mozambique’s requirements as a sovereign state to get help from other parts of the world,” Ramaphosa said.