Burkina Faso / Arab-Islamic Summit, when Ousmane Bougouma calls for worldwide mobilisation for the AES
On November 11, 2024, Dr. Ousmane Bougouma, President of Burkina Faso’s Transitional Parliament, represented the country’s Head of State at an extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Palestine and Lebanon in Riyadh, organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.
In his address, Dr. Bougouma seized the opportunity to highlight the critical situation facing members of the Sahel States Alliance (AES), which continues to suffer from rising insecurity due to terrorist activities.
Dr. Bougouma emphasized that the crises in Palestine and Lebanon are comparable to those in Burkina Faso and other AES nations, which are grappling with destabilizing terrorist attacks.
He called for international solidarity, on a level similar to that shown for Palestine and Lebanon, to be extended to the Sahel region.
“We hope that the global solidarity extended to Palestine and Lebanon can also be directed towards Sahelian countries to help restore peace and security,” he stated.
He urged summit participants to include the Sahel crisis in the international agenda and increase support for AES countries.
The summit gathered heads of state, ministers, and representatives from various nations to address the situations in Palestine and Lebanon.
Participants voiced deep concern over recurrent Israeli military strikes on Gaza and southern Lebanon and called for concrete measures to end hostilities.
In the summit’s final declaration, leaders demanded the release of occupied territories, an immediate ceasefire, and the lifting of the Gaza blockade to facilitate humanitarian aid.
They also backed the proposal for an international peace conference to seek a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr. Bougouma reiterated the importance of a comprehensive, inclusive response to global crises, affirming that peace in the Sahel is essential for global stability, just as it is for Palestine and Lebanon.
