MK Party provincial Coordinator and former Member of Parliament Raseriti "Papi" Tau. Picture: Supplied
uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) provincial co-ordinator and former MP Raseriti “Papi” Tau has called upon the South African government to use its seat at the UN to sponsor a motion condemning Ukraine for its alleged involvement in supporting terrorists on the continent.
Speaking at the end of the executive meeting of the Northern Cape branch of the Youth United for Global Peace and Prosperity on Monday, Tau emphasised the need to educate South Africans on pertinent continental and global matters.
The Northern Cape chapter of the group held its first meeting on August 12 in Kimberley under the theme “Threats posed by terrorism in Africa, the vulnerability of Mali and South Africa’s peace and prosperity”.
His remarks follow suspicions that Ukraine is sponsoring acts of terrorism on the continent, such as their participation in Sudan and the use of a Ukrainian-manufactured drone in a recent terror attack that killed scores in Mali.
This, Tau said, has led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Mali and Ukraine, with a similar procedure later launched by Niger.
“We need to educate our people and prepare them for such acts. We need to have more engagements on the threats faced by our country and the continent. We further need to mobilise the broader civil society to guard against the so-called peace-timers such as Ukraine.”
The situation with terrorists penetrating African countries is hotting up across Africa, Tau warned about the need for African countries to strengthen efforts to fight terrorism.
Earlier this month, the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Unit in conjunction with the Local Criminal Records Centre (LCRC) of the Public Order Police (POP), the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and Modimolle Vispol of Polokwane raided an illegal firearms training base in Modimolle and seized a large quantity of firearms and ammunition.
This was the second such base in a month.
In calling on the South African government to draw lessons from the Malian and Niger situation, Tau reflected on the most recent unfolding events in South Africa.
He cited the events of August 8, where officers raided an illegal firearms training base in Modimolle.
Tau said there is suspicion that such militants were being funded by foreign aid agencies that sought to topple governments in the continent.
In his presentation, Tau reflected on the birth of the separatist movement of the Tuareg and the MNLA, as well as the role of the Islamist movement al-Qaeda in the north.
Tau went on to dissect the role of the international community, particularly the UN and France, in their failed attempts to bring peace and stability to the region.
“Following the 2020 coup, a brief period of military rule was followed by a civilian-led transitional government. In May 2021, the transitional government was overthrown by the military, and Assimi Goita, one of the 2020 coup leaders and former transitional government vice-president, was sworn in as president,” he said.
Furthermore, he stated that these events should not be seen in isolation or any different from the US-led overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.
He drew parallels to how the outcome created a breeding ground for the emergence and resourcing of insurgents in the northern part of Mali.
“The result of that overthrow left an abundance of military weapons and artillery which the insurgents used effectively against the government of the day in Mali. The subsequent withdrawal of France and the UN peacekeeping missions in 2022 and 2023 respectively created space for the insurgents to launch an avalanche of attacks against the government.
“This led the Malian government to seek the intervention of Russia to bolster its security capacity as well as build peace and stability while combating terrorism in the region,” Tau explained.
He continued to caution the audience by saying that terrorism has no borders, and brought to the attention of participants that the situation with terrorists is hotting up across Africa.
He also noted that the position of some authorities is worrisome. In particular, he highlighted the endorsement and boasting by Ukraine of its assistance to insurgents in terrorist attacks on Malian soldiers.
This recent discovery of the Ukraine drone in Mali forced both Niger and Mali to plead with the UN Security Council to investigate Kyiv’s support for militants in their respective countries.
Terrorists in Mali, from the Azawad group, have recently attacked Mali’s state military forces and Russian instructors.
After the operation, the militants fled to the territory of a neighbouring state. This meant that the problem of terrorism can only be tackled through joint interstate work.
The Star
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