Cyril Ramaphosa : What’s he doing out here, in Sri Lanka?

TRC South Africa based on truth

Ranga Jayasuriya
 Not usually, does the second in command of a regional power, flanked by a presidential delegation, fly thousands miles to some embattled small State, disguised as 'tourists' to talk to the adversaries of a protracted domestic problem. However, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Deputy President of South Africa and the ruling African National Congress, pretty much did that-- at least if you are to believe the Sri Lankan government's initial remarks on the visit by the South African delegation.

Ramaphosa returns home form Sri Lanka mission disappointed?

The South African Peace Envoy and that country's Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was here on the much publicized visit, returned home after talks with the government authorities and the TNA leaders. According to some political observers Ramaphosa who came with full of hope over his country's peace initiative left this country disappointed and disillusioned.

Sri Lanka:Ramposha’s Visit Only For Discussions – Minister Wimal Weerawansa

The National Freedom Front (NFF) is opposing any kind of foreign mediation on the national issue. However, the NFF did not consider the visit of the Deputy President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa as’ interference’ as the government has assured them that the visit is confined to mere discussions.

Sri Lanka: Ramaphosa visit: What’s really happening?

Cyril Ramaphosa

Editorial, The Sunday Times

The visit of the Acting President of South African is shrouded in mystery; and the more the Government tries to explain the visit, the more curious it gets.  They say that foreign experts usually rush in to find out and then leave just as quickly before they are found out. Foreign correspondents who come to the ‘Third World’ with pre-conceived notions are nick-named ‘Running Johns’ — or ‘Running Janes’ as the case may be. What can one say then about the visiting South African Acting President Cyril Ramaphosa?

TNA willing to cooperate with South Africa – Suresh Premachandran

Suresh Premachandran

The TNA claimed that foreign delegates including the South African special envoy Cyril Ramaphosa who visited Sri Lanka recently have met the TNA to discuss the Tamil national issue which shows that internationally the TNA is recognised as the representative of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told  that as the elected representatives of the Tamil people, they are willing to cooperate with the South African government if they mediate between the government and the TNA to resolve the Tamil national issue.

“We Are Only Sharing South Africa’s Experiences” – Deputy FM Neomal Perera

Neomal Perera

Certain groups within the government including the National Freedom Front (NFF) are strongly opposing South African mediation in Sri Lanka. However, the government carried out a closed door meeting with the South African Special Envoy Cyril Ramaphosa during his recent visit to Sri Lanka and the content of the discussions was not revealed to the public. Nevertheless, the government assures that the intention of the meeting was only to strengthen the bilateral relationship and to share experiences.

Ramphosa assured TNA that South African involvment would be complementary to Indian and Western initiatives

Ramphosa in Jaffna

Wigneswaran briefs Tamil journalists on meeting South African Envoy Ramaphosa

A South African delegation, comprising South Africa's Special Envoy to Sri Lanka and South Sudan, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nomaindia Mfeketo, the deputy minister of South African International Relations and Cooperation, visited Jaffna on Tuesday and spent one hour with Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran. Addressing the press following his meeting with the South African delegation, Mr Wigneswaran said Mr Ramaphosa assured him that the 'South African involvement' would not be contradictory to the 'political initiatives' by New Delhi and to the Geneva-based war-crime process supported by the Western countries.

TNA Will Be The First Party To Meet Cyril Ramaphosa

The Tamil National Alliance will be the first party  to meet Cyril Ramaphosa,  South African envoy to Sri Lanka who will be visiting Colombo tomorrow for discussions pertaining to the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Speaking to Asian Mirror,  TNA spokesman Suresh Premachandran said they would be meeting Cyril Ramaphosa in a hotel in the capital city of Colombo soon after the latter's arrival. At the meeting, the two parties will discuss the post-war issues and the path to reconciliation process .

Reveal the truth; JHU, NFF ask why Ramaphosa is in Sri Lanka; who invited him?

Ramaphosa

Two main constituent parties of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the National Freedom Front (NFF), who were up in arms against the visit of the South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, are now demanding to know as to why he is in the country.  While accusing the government of not revealing to the country why Ramaphosa is arriving here, both parties warned that government will have to face grave consequences if the Deputy President is in the country to broker a power devolution package.

Sri Lanka’s national interests lie in cooperation not confrontation with UNHRC probe

Cyril Ramaphosa

Jehan Perera

It cannot be coincidental that hardly two weeks after the UN Human Rights Commissioner named the team that would investigate past human rights violations in Sri Lanka, the South African reconciliation initiative is also moving forward again.  There was a pause for a while, but once again there is an appearance of movement.  A high powered South African delegation headed by its Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be in the country in the next few days. 

Sri Lanka: Nationalist partner of Rajapaksa coalition threatened to leave over South Africa mediation

It is a Rajapaksa initiative

‘S. African mediation will make NFF leave UPFA’- Wimal warns govt:

Having presented a set of proposals reforms to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Saturday, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader, Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday that it would quit the ruling coalition if the government involved foreign powers to facilitate talks with the five-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

The NFF leader was responding to a query raised by The Island at a media briefing at the party headquarters at Pelawatte.

Sinhala nationalists oppose South African facilitation: Another foolish act

Nishantha

The government ally Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has emphasised that the decision to bring in South Africa as a mediator for talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is another foolish act of the government.

The deputy president of South Africa ,Cyril Ramaphosa, is to arrive in Sri Lanka in June to play the role of a third party in the particular talks.

South African initiative, an opportunity for govt. to restore its credibility

Jehan Perera

The government’s inability or unwillingness to provide the international community with the quantum of evidence required to ban the 16 Tamil Diaspora groups and 424 individuals it listed under a UN anti terrorism resolution has led to both the United States and Canada refusing to ban them.   The government spokesperson on the issue had stated that it banned them all following extensive investigations in which 65 arrests had been made. 

South Africa's envoy lies about meeting with Colombo-based diplomats amid secrecy and delay in Ramaphosa mission

Geoff Doidge

However, High Commissioner Doidge claimed that no such meeting had taken place and dodged questions posed to him by the Sunday Times. “We don’t discuss our initiatives with others. This is a matter between the Sri Lanka Government and the Government of South Africa. There is no reason for us to discuss such issues with the diplomatic community. We have no reasons at all to discuss them and there was no such meeting.”

Ban Ki Moon urges Sri Lanka to ensure accountability for sexual violence crimes through the proposed TRC

''In the context of dialogue on the establishment of a comprehensive truth and reconciliation commission, I urge the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that such a transitional justice mechanism explicitly seek accountability for sexual violence crimes and that national authorities put in place the necessary services, remedies and reparations for survivors.''

- Conflict related sexual violence - Report of the Secretary General

United Nations S/2014/181; Security Council / 13 March 2014

The South African initiative would probably take shape only after Ramphosa’s visit to Colombo

Cyril Ramaphosa

''The South African initiative would probably take shape only after Ramphosa’s visit to Colombo next month. So it is too early to talk of Indian response to the initiative. At the same time, India had been stressing the need for resuming the stalled reconciliation process which had been delayed by the negative tactics adopted by President Rajapaksa.  He formed yet another parliamentary select committee (PSC) to make recommendations on the issue. With most of the opposition parties including the TNA boycotting the PSC, its credibility has been eroded even before it finalised its recommendations. ''

Sri Lanka- South African Mediation- Comments by  Col R Hariharan

Pros and Cons of South African TRC initiative in Sri Lanka: A long way to go

Zuma and Rajapaksha ( Photo:SA Govt)

South Africa mediation offers way out for Govt - Sunday Times Political Editor

Whilst Sri Lankans were observing the National New Year last week, the Government of South African President Jacob Zuma set in motion a broad initiative towards reconciliation in Sri Lanka. It came when Pretoria’s special envoy Cyril Ramaphosa, widely regarded as a future President, took the first step of holding talks with a delegation from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). He will arrive in Sri Lanka to continue the dialogue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other UPFA leaders late next month or in early June.

TNA to support South African facilitated process on reconciliation

Ciril Ramphosa

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that recently engaged in a visit to South Africa has said the party will back a process facilitated by South Africa to achieve reconciliation in Sri Lanka. The TNA has also noted that the party will also closely monitor the actions of the government. TNA leader R. Sampanthan has been quoted in the media that the visit to South Africa was a positive one and that the TNA delegation had informed the South African government that the Tamils want a political solution to their issues and also want to live without having to face intimidation from the military in the north.

Yasmin Sooka: If panel of experts are banned from visiting Sri Lanka..

Yasmin at UNHRC side event ( photo: Deshapriya S)

''It is never too late for reconciliation initiatives in any country. However, reconciliation cannot be built on impunity and denial and is usually based on accountability that is, truth, justice, reparations for victims and an acknowledgement by the State of its responsibility for such crimes. The TRC in South Africa was established as one of many transitional institutions paving the way for democracy. It was also preceded by an interim Constitution which paved the way for elections and ultimately the transition to democracy. ''

Interview with Yasmin Sooka

Sri Lanka: Second US Senate resolution calls for S. African style mechanism

In the wake of a group of US Senators calling for the establishment of an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate wartime atrocities as well as other human rights abuses, another group of Senators is proposing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), similar to the one set up by South Africa, to address grievances of those who had been effected by the Eelam conflict.