APS : Wednesday, 18 July 2018
ALGIERS- The “close ties” between late South African leader Nelson Mandela and Algeria were highlighted Tuesday, in Algiers, notably his inspiration from the Algerian Revolution in his fight against the apartheid regime.
“There were very close ties between Mandela and Algeria. Mandela was heavily influenced by the history of the Algerian resistance against the French colonialism, from which he drew his inspiration in his fight against the apartheid regime,” said the first Algerian ambassador to South Africa Noureddine Djoudi in a meeting organized at El Moudjahid Forum on the eve of the celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day.
In this regard, he broached Mandela’s stay in Algeria where he received a military training “benefitting from the Algerian experience in the anti-colonial struggle,” underlining in this regard that “the French colonialism and the apartheid regime were the same.”
He added that Algeria was also “a source of inspiration at the diplomatic level for Mandela in his fight against the racist and discriminatory policy of the apartheid regime.”
The former diplomat lamented “the attempts of some western countries particularly to obscure Algeria’s role and solidarity with the South African people, notably Mandela, to free themselves from the apartheid regime.”
In this regard, Djoudi stressed the role and commitment of Algeria in the anti-colonial struggle worldwide, by supporting oppressed people in their fight for self-determination and independence, notably in Africa.
