Ahtisaari emphasises role in ending apartheid

Nobel Peace Prize laureate interviewed by Financial Times

print this

Nobel Peace Prize winner, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari believes that his 13-year mediation effort in Namibia was the key to the collapse of the apartheid system in South Africa.
      Ahtisaari gave his views in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper. The interview was conducted at Helsinki’s Savoy Restaurant by journalist Quentin Peel.
      Ahtisaari was named UN envoy to Namibia in 1976. He feels that his most important achievement was the peace agreement reached between the South African occupiers and the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), guerrilla movement.
     
Ahtisaari sees the agreement as a precondition for the dismantling of South Africa’s apartheid system.
      “Change only came after Namibia.”, Ahtisaari said “Most of my South African friends are prepared to accept my argument that after South Africa dealt with SWAPO, it encouraged them to start dialogue with Mandela.”
      Apartheid was in force in South Africa from 1948 to 1991. Secret negotiations to dismantle the system took place from 1985 between the government and the African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela.
     
South Africa occupied Namibia under the authority of the League of Nations from 1920. However, in the 1970s, the UN recognised the Marxixt-oriented SWAPO as the legal representative of Namibia. South Africa agreed to give up Namibia in 1988, after talks mediated by Ahtisaari Namibia became independent in 1990.
      In the interview Ahtisaari emphasised the importance of the powerful support of the United States in resolving crises around the world. He does not want to sign up as peacemaker in the Middle East, saying that he supports the EU’s Mideast envoy Tony Blair for that post.
     
The interview was part of the Lunch with FT series. During the interview, the two gentlemen both ordered the Savoy special menu: grilled turbot with lobster foam, Finnish wild pigeon with onion purée and foie gras sauce, and so on.
      The bill was EUR 284.45.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Martti Ahtisaari wins 2008 Nobel Peace Prize (10.10.2008)
  Nobel Peace laureate Martti Ahtisaari makes appeal for peace in Middle East (11.12.2008)
  Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari speaks of double standards in peace work (10.12.2008)

Links:
  Lunch with the FT: Martti Ahtisaari - Jan. 24th, 2009

Helsingin Sanomat