South African delegation meets with Tamil diaspora organisations to discuss issues of settling the ethnic conflict

 25 May 2015
A South African delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)  Nomaindiya C Mfekto held an official consultation with Tamil diaspora organisations with regards to Tamil affairs in Sri Lanka and work towards bringing a sense of normalcy to the North-East of the island.

A series of separate discussions were held on Monday with representatives from Tamil diaspora organisations including the South African Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka (SGPJ), British Tamil Forum (BTF), United States Tamil Political Action Campaign (USTPAC), Global Tamil Forum (GTF), International Council of Eelam Tamils (ICET),  and Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE).

A source from the meeting said that the discussions were centered around producing a conducive environment in the North-East to foster a future process to end the ethnic conflict on the island.

The South African delegation consisted of the Deputy Director General for Asia & Middle East Dr Anil Sooklal, Special Advisor to Deputy President Ms Nokikhanya Jele, Deputy Director for South Asia Mr Tielman Furter and the South African High Commissioner to the UK Mr Obed Mlaba.

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, the SGPJ General Secretary, Pregasen Padayachee said,

“We outlined the importance of bringing about a sense of normalcy to the North-East before an actual negotiation process is put place with the Sri Lankan government to solve the ethnic conflict.” 

See also: 

 South African delegation visits Sri Lanka (25 Feb 2015)