Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has voiced the country’s opposition to what he deems reprehensible violence against the people in Gaza. These remarks were made during his address at the ongoing 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
Ambassador Tuggar emphasized Nigeria’s enduring support for the two-state solution. He disclosed his involvement in a committee of seven foreign ministers, including counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which actively lobbied for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza by Israel. This diplomatic effort extended to various world capitals.
Highlighting Nigeria’s consistent stance, Ambassador Tuggar underscored the nation’s role as an African leader, consistently standing against perceived injustices, as reported by Arise TV News.
Tuggar said, “Nigeria’s position has always been clear. Our position has always been that of, to begin with, a non-aligned movement which is now strategic autonomy. We are friendly with all nations.
“But when it comes to the issue of Palestine, we are unequivocally in support of the two-state solution. We abhor and we are totally against the reprehensible violence being meted out on the people in Gaza.
“So, I was part of the committee of seven of foreign ministers that included the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and a few others that went round to several world capitals pushing for an immediate ceasefire.
“So, ours came before the action taken by South Africa. We are not in competition with South Africa. South Africa is a younger sibling to Nigeria. We were robust in seeing the end of an apartheid regime, of racist regime, not just in South Africa but also in Mozambique, Angola and Zimbabwe.
“Nigeria has been consistent and it has stood as an African leader against whatever we consider to be wrong and this is clearly wrong. But that should not preclude us from attending the World Economic Forum, because it is important for diplomats to engage, it is important for World Leaders to engage and that is what we are here to do.”
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday said that the situation in Gaza has reached a state of profound desperation.
According to UNDP, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of them are women and children, while the rest are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe.
The UNDP further said that 40% of the population in Gaza are at risk of famine and that more than half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger conditions.
Also, 1.9 million of the 2.2 million residents of Gaza have reportedly been displaced, according to UNDP, while shelters have long exceeded their full capacity and conditions in them are dire.
The UNDP further said that the health system in Gaza is on its knees, with only 13 out of 36 hospitals partially functional.
It noted that despite the tremendous efforts of humanitarians, the fighting has rendered the aid operation in Gaza virtually impossible as more than 145 UN staff have been killed, marking the largest single loss of life in the organization’s history.
According to UNDP, “An end to this war is the only way to begin to meet the desperate needs of people in Gaza and end their ongoing nightmare.”
