By Buba Gagigo
The 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is set to officially commence in The Gambia on May 4th, 2024, following the arrival of esteemed guests, including the OIC Secretary General and the President of Guinea-Bissau.
The OIC announced on their social media that the Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting, a precursor to the 15th Islamic Summit Conference, took place on May 2, 2024.
During the inaugural session, H.E. Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, praised The Gambia for its meticulous preparations for the 15th Islamic Summit in Banjul. He reflected on Saudi Arabia’s contributions and initiatives during its tenure leading the 14th Summit, with a particular focus on supporting Palestine.
H.E. Mr. Mamadou Tangara, the Gambian Foreign Minister, in his role as Chair of the CFM preparatory meeting, extended a warm welcome to the delegations and underscored the OIC’s commitment to tackling the myriad challenges faced by its Member States.
The OIC Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to The Gambia for assuming the Summit’s Chairmanship. He expressed gratitude to the Gambian authorities and citizens for their excellent summit preparations and assured the General Secretariat of complete support and coordination for a successful summit.
“The Secretary-General indicated that the challenges facing the OIC require stepping up efforts, cooperation, and solidarity, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue, the central and unifying Cause of the joint Islamic action system. He highlighted the serious developments facing the Palestinian Cause, especially the ongoing aggression on Gaza, the escalating crimes of deliberate killing, colonial settlement, Judaization of the city of Al-Quds, and violation of the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also reviewed the key issues on the OIC agenda and the OIC’s response to them,” OIC wrote through their Facebook page.
The CFM’s session focused on reviewing the documents for the 15th Islamic Summit and the report from the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM). These discussions will culminate in a comprehensive report for the Summit Conference, which is expected to release a Final Communiqué detailing the OIC’s stances on various topics, a resolution concerning Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Banjul Declaration.