SOUTH AFRICA: YASSER ARAFAT MEETS NELSON MANDELA

(11 Aug 1998) English/Nat President Nelson Mandela awarded the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat South Africa’s highest honour for foreigners at a ceremony in Cape Town. Arafat is on a three-day visit to South Africa, aimed at cementing ties that go back to when the African National Congress was fighting white rule and Arafat headed the Palestinian Liberation Organisation as an exile. Afterwards, Arafat condemned the terrorist attacks on the U-S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The Palestinian leader was accorded the formal welcome of a full head of state in Cape Town on Tuesday. This is an indication of the respect the South African president Nelson Mandela has for his long time supporter Yasser Arafat. The two of them inspected a military parade and listened to the Palestinian national anthem as part of the ceremony to honour Arafat. In giving Arafat the Order of Good Hope, (Class One Grand Cross Gold) Mandela is recognising the support given to the A-N-C by him and the Palestine Liberation Organisation while Mandela was spending 27 years in prison. Arafat joins the ranks of previous recipients such as French President Jacques Chirac, U-S President Bill Clinton as well as the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and former Indonesia President Suharto. They are all recognised for their support of the A-N-C’s struggle against apartheid. In return Arafat presented Mandela with the Star of Holy Jerusalem medal. He praised Mandela for bringing democracy to South Africa as well as supporting the creation of a Palestinian state. Afterwards Arafat condemned the attacks on the U-S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. SOUNDBITE: (English) “We condemn it completely, and we (are) against all these activities. We are looking for peace and just peace everywhere and I have sent my letters to his excellency President Clinton carrying my condolences and also to the presidents of Kenya and Tanzania. Till now we don’t know but we are trying to coordinate with all our friends to arrive to the sources who are behind all these terrorist activities.“ SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Arafat will also hold talks with Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and the leaders of all South Africa’s largest opposition parties. It was Arafat’s first visit since South Africa and the Palestinian autonomous government established diplomatic ties in 1995. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: