WINDHOEK: Two former Namibian heads of state are among a group of 35 former presidents who have urged the president of the United States of America to remove Cuba from the list of countries accused of supporting terrorism . The former president of Colombia , Ernesto Samper announced the letter signed by 35 former leaders , including Namibia ‘ s founding president Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba , the second president of Namibia . The letter addressed to US President Joseph Biden , which Nampa obtained on Monday , states that the request for Cuba to be removed from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism are based on a humanitarian appeal aimed at alleviating the situation of millions of innocent people . The appeal also emphasises the Cuban government ‘ s commitment to combating terrorism and promoting peace . ‘ We ask you to consider sending this clear message of humanism and understanding beyond the legitimate ideological differences that cannot and should not justify acting otherwise ,’ the letter says
. It further notes that despite a lack of evidence , Cuba is accused of having links to terrorist activities of which it has also been a victim , and harsh sanctions are imposed based on this presumption , directly impacting its population and permanently destabilising its economy . Furthermore , maintaining Cuba ‘ s inclusion on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism constitutes a coercive measure that is difficult to justify in the 21st century when equality among states must be a reality , it says . ‘ This unjust decision also affects the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the ethical pillar of contemporary international relations -, by impacting the most vulnerable sectors of the Cuban population ,’ the letter states . It also notes that the active participation of the Cuban government in the construction of the Peace Accord signed in Havana in 2016 between the State of Colombia and ‘ Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia ‘ ( FARC ), coupled with its recent role as a guarantor country in the d
ialogue seeking peace between the Colombian State and the ‘ Ej é rcito de Liberaci ó n Nacional ‘ ( ELN ). President Nangolo Mbumba is scheduled to depart for New York on Monday to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly , where he is expected to discuss Cuba ‘ s inclusion on the terrorism list .
Source: The Namibia News Agency