The Federal Republic of Nigeria has been selected by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League as part of a special delegation mandated to initiate immediate international action to halt the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, in a statement, said the message was communicated to Nigeria by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Tuggar said the decision was taken in furtherance to the resolution adopted at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, which took place in Riyadh on Saturday.

According to the minister, the resolution that bears Nigeria in the inclusion in the peace team states the following:

“Assign the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in its capacity as the presidency of the 32nd Arab and Islamic Summit, along with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine

“Any other interested countries, and the secretary-general of both organisations to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states of the OIC and the Arab League to formulate an international move to halt the war in Gaza.

” To pressure for a real and serious political process to achieve a permanent and comprehensive peace by established international references.”

Nigeria was invited to the emergency joint Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the war taking place in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories.

At the summit, Mr Tuggar said Nigeria stood firmly with the two states’ solution prescribed by the UN to help bring a stop to the Israeli-Palestinian war.

According to him, Nigeria welcomes the intervention by the OIC to emphatically add its voice to the call for an end to the violence and loss of lives of innocent civilians.

Mr Tuggar said the disproportionate use of force against the people of Gaza begs the question, “How many more must die to avenge the act of aggressor.”

He said the war against the people of Gaza cannot be contemplated in the same breath as the “Just War Doctrine” and has to stop for the sake of humanity.

“Where is the rule of law?” he asked. “Today, we live in a data-driven world, and the question is, where is the evidence that the violence meted out by Israel on Gaza is having any effect on Hamas.” 

(NAN)