The Kurdish cause for self-determination was placed firmly on the South African agenda in recent weeks when both the ANC and SACP adopted resolutions on the Kurdish question, at their respective conferences.
According to a report by the daily newspaper Cape Argus based in Cape Town, the African National Congress (ANC) resolution, which will be sent for final ratification to the December elective conference, said: “The ANC supports the Kurdish peoples’ struggle for political rights, peace and justice in the Middle East and urges all role-players to engage for a political solution in the conflict. The ANC further calls for the release of Kurdish leader, Abdullah Ocalan, and all political prisoners.”
Meanwhile, the South African Communist Party's (SACP) 14th national congress also called for the release of Kurdish People's Leader Öcalan, the unbanning of Kurdish political formations and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Nilufer Koç, the co-chairperson of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), attended both conferences and was pleased with the outcome. She was on a visit to garner support among the government and civil society for the Kurdish struggle.
The secretary of KHRAG, Mahmoud Patel, said the adoption of the resolutions were long overdue and the result of continuous campaigning by the rights groups over many years. He said the resolutions were shaped by the reality of the Kurdish condition.
“The release of Abdullah Öcalan, and all political prisoners and the resumption of a political process that puts all players on an equal footing are of paramount importance to a stable democratic future,” said Patel.
