The
Gambia government has issued a statement calling for dialogue and restraint in
the ongoing conflict between Qatar and Saudi Arabia as well as the Gulf states.
“The
Government and people of The Gambia wishes to call on all sides to the Gulf
conflict to show restraint and to privilege dialogue and a negotiating
settlement so as to end a crisis whose elongation can only have far-reaching
dire consequences,” the statement said.
Below
we publish the full version of the statement, released through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Gambians Abroad and International Cooperation.
SEVERENCE
OF DIPLOMATIC TIES BETWEEN THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) AND QATAR
Following
the announcement on 5 June 2017 that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) member states plus Yemen, Egypt, etc. had severed
diplomatic ties with Qatar, the Government and people of The Gambia and the
Muslim Ummah were to say the least, taken aback by the implication and no doubt
worrisome nature of the situation and attendant regrettable consequences should
restraint not prevail.
For,
at a time when the Middle East and the Gulf region are mired in interminable
conflict, in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, countries in which hydra-headed
terrorism continues to inflict a tale of untold misery, death and destruction
on the peoples of the area, the Government of The Gambia wishes to call on all
sides to the Gulf conflict to show restraint and to privilege dialogue and a negotiating
settlement so as to end a crisis whose elongation can only have far-reaching
dire consequences for an entire region, more so as it came like a Tsunami at
the very advent of the holy month of Ramadan – a month of peace, sacrifice,
reflection and especially for forgiveness in Islam.
And,
at a time when our noble religion is being trampled upon, with scorn and
disdain in some quarters, the Ummah must be seen to be resolutely closing ranks
in defense of their brothers of the region who are asking for nothing more than
to be allowed to continue to live in peace, harmony and cooperation in Islamic
brotherliness.
The
Republic of The Gambia therefore calls on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),
the UN, the OIC, the Arab League and all men and women of people goodwill to
conjugate efforts to bring about a speedy resolution to the impasse between
Qatar and her neighbours so that normalcy could once again reign in the region.
