Leaders of countries denounced Non-Aligned Movement The Israeli war on Gaza stripThey called for an immediate ceasefire, during the opening of their 19th summit held in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for an immediate halt to this war, and stressed, during a speech he delivered at the opening of the summit, that his country was working to prevent the commission of new crimes against the Palestinians.
Ramaphosa said that the war in Gaza demonstrated the incompetence of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, where the United States used its veto power against a number of resolutions critical of Israel.
“We must establish a fair and equitable system of global governance that has the capacity to respond to all needs in situations of threat and harm,” he added.
For his part, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes said in a speech he delivered to the delegates, “Since last October 7, we have witnessed one of the most horrific acts of genocide ever recorded in history.”
Valdes asked: “How can Western countries that claim to be civilized justify the killing of women and children in Gaza, the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals and schools, and the deprivation of food and safe drinking water?”
In turn, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission, called for “an immediate cessation of the unjust war against the Palestinian people.”
Egyptian invitation
Egypt also called on non-aligned countries to denounce Israel’s practices in the Gaza Strip, which have continued since October 7th.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a speech he delivered at the summit on behalf of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, “Egypt calls on the Non-Aligned Movement to adhere to its historical positions to denounce the illegal Israeli practices, and to reject the displacement of the Palestinian people and the liquidation of their cause.”
He recalled that the summit is meeting at a time when a number of members of the Non-Aligned Movement face “a direct threat to their security, stability, and even survival, as the Middle East region is witnessing a widespread crisis, as a result of Israel’s continued brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip.”
Shukri pointed out that “the Israeli aggression against Gaza led to the displacement of more than 1,600,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in the face of Israeli practices that impose siege and starvation, obstruct humanitarian aid, and continue to violate international law and international humanitarian law.”
The Israeli war on Gaza dominated the proceedings of the opening session of the summit, which began yesterday, Friday, and will last for two days, in the presence of representatives from about 120 countries representing members of the movement.
The Non-Aligned Movement was officially formed in 1961 by countries that opposed joining any of the two main military and political blocs of the Cold War era. The movement includes almost all African countries, representing about half of its members, and it also includes India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chile, Peru, and Colombia.
