Senator Mushahid Hussain Urges Asia to Embrace ‘Mandela Model’ of Reconciliation at Historic African Political Summit

Islamabad: Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed called for the adoption of Nelson Mandela’s model of peace and reconciliation in Asia, during his keynote address at the first-ever historic conference of African political parties held in Ghana. He was specially invited to the event and became one of the first Asian leaders to speak at the forum.
The summit, hosted by Ghana, brought together over 200 representatives from more than 40 African nations. Senator Mushahid was invited in his capacity as Co-Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and President of PAIDAR – Pakistan’s first think tank focused on Africa.
During his visit as the official guest of the Ghanaian government, Senator Mushahid held high-level meetings with Ghana’s Vice President Jane Naana, Chief of Staff to the President Julius Debrah, and Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ibrahim Farah, among others.
In his address, Senator Mushahid highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing principled support for African liberation movements in countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Eritrea, Somalia, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. He also recalled the 1955 Bandung Conference co-hosted by Pakistan and Indonesia’s President Sukarno, which laid the foundation for Afro-Asian solidarity.
Referencing his extensive personal engagement with Africa, Mushahid mentioned his visits to various countries including South Africa, Rwanda, Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. He recalled his role as Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information when he had the honor of welcoming Nelson Mandela during his 1999 state visit to Pakistan.
Senator Mushahid introduced the Pakistan Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR), now recognized as Pakistan’s key non-governmental platform for advancing Pakistan-Africa relations.
He praised Mandela’s legacy and presented the “Mandela Model” as an ideal path for Asia, emphasizing three core principles:
1. **Forgiveness and Forward-Looking Policies:** Mandela championed the principle of “forgive and forget” to enable societies and states to progress and heal.
2. **Rejection of Revenge Politics:** The Mandela Model shuns political vengeance and bitterness, which only promote divisiveness and fixation on the past.
3. **Inclusive and Institutional Democracy:** Mandela voluntarily stepped down after a single presidential term, demonstrating leadership as a public trust—a sharp contrast to the power-hungry politics seen in much of Asia and Africa.
Mushahid also lauded Mandela’s principled stance in support of the self-determination struggles of the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples.
Declaring the 21st century as the era of the “Global South Renaissance,” he called for stronger Asia-Africa-Latin America cooperation. He paid tribute to Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah—an icon of Pan-Africanism and a key architect of the Non-Aligned Movement—by visiting his mausoleum in Accra.
Senator Mushahid assured African leaders of Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening ties through diplomacy, trade, investment, education, IT, mining, and strategic minerals.
During his trip, he also addressed the Pakistani community at an Independence Day celebration and held meetings with African think tanks, media professionals, and business leaders.