As part of a special mission tasked with initiating immediate international action to stop the continuing war in Gaza, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League have chosen Nigeria.
Yusuf Tuggar, the country’s foreign minister, made the announcement on Tuesday.
Tuggar said that the Saudi Embassy in Nigeria informed the country of the pick on Tuesday in Abuja.
Jerrymusa.com reports that after the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people on Saturday in Riyad, Tuggar stated the decision was made in furtherance of the resolution agreed at the summit.
The minister claimed that the following was written in the resolution that officially invited Nigeria to join the peace team:
Assign the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister on behalf of Saudi Arabia’s 32nd Arab and Islamic Summit chairmanship, together with his or her counterparts from Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine.
“Any other interested countries, and the Secretary-General of both organisations to undertake prompt international action on behalf of all member states of the OIC and the Arab League to develop an international initiative to cease the war in Gaza.
In conformity with canonical international standards, “to exert genuine and serious political pressure for the establishment of a lasting and comprehensive peace.”
The war in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories prompted an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic leaders in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Nigeria was asked to attend.
Tuggar, speaking at the summit, stated that Nigeria supported the two-state option proposed by the United Nations as a means to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nigeria, according to Tuggar, is willing to collaborate with other countries to cease the fighting and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
According to him, Nigeria is relieved that the OIC has stepped in to add its voice to the chorus demanding an end to the bloodshed and the deaths of innocent people.
Tuggar remarked, “How many more must die to avenge the act of aggressor?” in reference to the excessive use of force against the people of Gaza.
“In today’s evidence-based society, one might reasonably ask where the data is showing that Israel’s military campaign against Gaza has deterred Hamas.”