Palestine envoy cites Africa Day, Zimbabwe solidarity in sovereignty appeal

Palestine envoy cites Africa Day, Zimbabwe solidarity in sovereignty appeal

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Palestine’s Ambassador Tamer Almassri has used Africa Day 2026 to urge African governments and citizens to keep backing Palestinian self-determination, saying the continent’s own liberation history gives it a distinct moral authority on questions of sovereignty and international law.

In a statement issued for 25 May, Almassri framed Africa Day as more than a commemoration, describing it as evidence that “peoples under the boot of colonialism and apartheid” can secure freedom through time and solidarity.

He referenced a shared political tradition linking Palestinian aspirations to Africa’s anti-colonial movements, naming Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Ahmed Sékou Touré and Gamal Abdel Nasser as leaders who, he argued, understood the struggles for self-determination, dignity and human rights as “inextricably linked”.

The Ambassador also highlighted Zimbabwe’s historical and diplomatic support for Palestine, noting that the relationship predates recent developments in Gaza and long stretches back in regional and global politics.

Within that history, the statement points to Zimbabwe’s early recognition of Palestine in 1988, described as a significant act of solidarity associated with the liberation-movement outlook that shaped the country’s foreign policy in the years after independence.

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Almassri has previously characterised the Zimbabwe–Palestine relationship as unusually close, including in public remarks where he has described the two as “twins” and drawn parallels around sanctions and external pressure. In his Africa Day message, he returned to the theme of a shared experience of struggle and mutual understanding.

He commended President Emmerson Mnangagwa for directing humanitarian assistance for Palestinian victims through the United Nations after the October 2023 escalation, presenting the move as an example of support expressed through action rather than rhetoric.

The Ambassador further acknowledged support from African states at international forums, arguing that Africa’s history of overcoming “institutionalized oppression” lends particular weight to its positions on justice and the application of international law. “Your voices,” he wrote, “carry a unique moral weight that champions justice, international law, and the right of all peoples to live in freedom.”

He linked that view to Africa’s voting strength in multilateral institutions, where African countries have repeatedly supported Palestinian rights in United Nations processes, and encouraged the continent to maintain that stance.

Almassri’s message closed on an aspirational note, calling for “a future where both Africa and Palestine thrive in peace, security, and absolute sovereignty,” while situating the appeal within what he described as an ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation.

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