At the Doha Forum 2025, UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese drew a direct line between South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle and Palestine today.
“If you go to South Africa, you realise that Nelson Mandela couldn’t have been born in any other country,” she said, pointing to a strength of an exceptional people forged by resistance to settler colonial domination.
Albanese recalled Mandela’s famous quote, “We will not be free until Palestine is free,” and explained why he named Palestine specifically: because the same European settler-colonial mentality still underpins Israel’s brutal rule over occupied Palestinian territory.
“So do I see a moment of redemption? Absolutely,” she said. “It’s in the power of the Palestinians because they have not been defeated… I’m talking about resilience – ‘Sumud’ – which is the most defining value of the Palestinian people, it has become a universal term.
Produced by: Drop Site News
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
