By
Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

A Sri Lankan Government delegation, which was visiting South Africa from 20 to 22 February, to study the South African reconciliation process had not received a formal invitation from their South African counterparts, sources said.

However, when Ceylon Today contacted South Africa’s Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, he said, “The delegation came on their own interest to meet the South African officials and we were more than happy to welcome them.”

He also said South Africa was also awaiting a visit by a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation.Deputy Minister Ebrahim, who is also involved in conflict resolution efforts between Israel and Palestine, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as in Burundi, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal, had met the delegation lead by Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, Nimal Siripala de Silva. The Sri Lankan delegation is expected to return to Sri Lanka today.

Deputy Minister Ibrahim also said, “The Sri Lankan delegation had met us after a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where the Sri Lankan President sought assistance from his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, for the country’s reconciliation process.”
He added, “We spoke extensively about the process of reconciliation in the South African way, and I hope the delegation will return satisfied.”

When asked whether the Sri Lankan delegation saw the discussion as meaningful, Ebrahim said, “I don’t know, but I hope so and we will let Sri Lanka decide that and let us know what they think.”
He added that President Rajapaksa earlier requested President Zuma to share South African experience on reconciliation.

“This visit was based on that discussion and we held the discussion on Sri Lanka’s request. We discussed both our problems and shared experience in the process of reconciliation. We want Sri Lanka to decide on its own and would like to have a delegation representing the TNA to come over to South Africa.”

He, however, said the TNA had not yet ‘informed us on their arrival schedule.’
The External Affairs Ministry in Colombo, in a statement issued last week, said it was considering a truth and reconciliation commission modelled on the post-apartheid body in South Africa, to help heal the scars of the nation’s decades-long civil war.
COURTESY:Ceylon Today