*Organisation to support Nigeria, others fight terrorism, organised crime
President Muhammadu Buhari has alerted that many Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states are grappling with serious security problems including terrorism, violent extremism and armed criminality.
The President stated this when he read the collective statement of African countries at the 14th Summit of the OIC in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
In the statement read on Saturday, Buhari said the situation had been compounded by series of political crises in the affected countries.
The Nigerian leader said some of these challenges had assumed grave dimensions in recent times and required serious and coordinated approach for lasting solutions.
The president, however, noted that African members of the OIC were pleased with renewed efforts by the OIC for the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinians and other long-standing unresolved conflicts.
‘‘In this regard, we support the actions of the OIC in seeking an early resolution to the lingering Palestinian question and the rights of the Palestinian people to an independent homeland.
“We equally subscribe to the various actions of the OIC in resolving the crises in Syria, Yemen and Libya,’’ he added.
The president commended the OIC engagement with other international actors in addressing the various political conflicts in the OIC region and the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.
He said: ‘‘In addition to the core issue of the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinians and other long-standing unresolved conflicts, we now grapple with serious security problems, represented by the destructive activities of terrorists, violent extremists and armed criminals in many of OIC member states.
‘‘This situation has also been compounded by a series of political crises, which continue to affect a number of our countries.’’
Buhari commended the robust interventions of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in key sectors such as agriculture, trade and investment.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the OIC institutions in the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis arising from the insurgency but urged them to do more.
The President also commended OIC institutions for supporting development projects aimed at achieving rapid socio-economic development in Nigeria.He highlighted the Inter-Water Basic transfer, aimed at recharging the Lake Chad, the National Food Security Programme, the Second Niger Bridge, various roads and school rehabilitation projects as some projects in Nigeria that had attracted the support of OIC institutions.
The Nigerian leader also used the occasion to express confidence that the ongoing political transition in Sudan and Algeria would be concluded smoothly and peacefully.
He thanked King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud for hosting and chairing the 14th OIC Summit and the Turkish President, RecepErdogan, whose tenure just ended.
Buhari saluted Erdogan’s commitment to the ideals of the Organisation and his efforts in ensuring that “the OIC achieves its set goals and objectives throughout his tenure as Chairman.”
The Organisationalso pledged to support countries of the Sahel region, particularly Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, by building their defence and security forces to counter terrorism and combat organised crime.
In a communiqué at the end of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference, OIC called on member states to support the G-5 Sahel countries in their efforts to fight terrorism and ensure development.
The conference also expressed its full solidarity with Lake Chad Basin countries, namely Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, which had continue to face grave security challenges and vicious insurgency arising from the violent Boko Haram extremism and terrorism.
The conference also requested the Council of Foreign Ministers to upgrade the OIC regional humanitarian office in Niamey to a regional representative mission to mobilize political commitment and undertake development and humanitarian activities.
It called on its members and institutions, including the Islamic Development (IsDB) and Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), to support Comoros, the Republic of Guinea, Cot d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone in their development programmes with a view to achieve sustainable developments.
The OIC also affirmed its commitment to supporting the stability, unity and territorial integrity of Libya and expressed utmost concern for the continuing military operations around the Libyan capital Tripoli.
It called on all concerned parties in Libya to cease fire immediately to spare citizens’ lives as the escalation of the conflict constituted a threat to international peace and security and to Libya’s stability, “and increases the mounting danger of terrorism throughout the country”.
The conference affirmed the need for all concerned parties in Libya to commit to the supreme interest of the country and to spare its people further suffering and the woes of the war.
It also stressed the need for them to return to the political process under the political agreement concluded under the auspices of the UN in order to find a comprehensive settlement through national reconciliation on a consensual basis.
While noting with satisfaction the steady progress being made by the government of Somalia (FGS) under President Mohamed Abdullahi and reiterated its full support for the peace building endeavours of the FGS, the conference commended the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud and his crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
