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Palestinian Leader to Visit S. Africa
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will arrive in South Africa on Thursday for talks with President Thabo Mbeki and former president Nelson Mandela, South African Foreign Affairs Department announced on Thursday.
However, the department was not able to give details of Arafat's visit, only saying that the Palestinian leader will seek support from South Africa to declare an independent state.
Arafat is expected to meet Mandela in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon, the department added.
Before last month's failed US-brokered peace talks between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization pledged to implement Palestinian statehood on September 13 even if there was no peace by then.
US President Bill Clinton, who hosted the latest Camp David talks which broke down on July 25 in a dispute over control of east Jerusalem, has threatened to review his government's relationship with the Palestinians if they go ahead with the declaration.
Arafat on Wednesday said he has won strong support from Arab nations for his stance presented at the Camp David.
Arafat stressed Jerusalem belongs not only to Palestinians, but to all Arabs, Christians and Muslims, and he has no mandate to make compromises without their approval.
Since last Saturday, Arafat has visited France, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan and Egypt for briefing the Camp David talks.
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