Shehu Sani, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, released a statement expressing a renewed commitment to an end to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addresses reporters before their working lunch at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 21, 2015. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
Sani stated that he “fully support[s] the United Nations Resolution on the crisis between Palestine and Israel”. He urged that stakeholders involved in the process continue to encourage dialogue between the two countries. Sani stated that it was “regrettable” that the former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, derailed the country’s official position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and assured the Palestinian envoy that he was there on a peaceful mission.
His statements support the recent efforts of the UN Security Council to bring an end to the conflict. He also expressed to the Palestinian envoy that current Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, is “here to reaffirm my support for the Palestinian course and the struggle of the people of Palestine, for their liberation as an independent and sovereign state”.
In response, Palestinian ambassador Saleh Fhied commended the Nigerian president for nurturing a relationship between Nigeria and Palestine in 1985 when he was the military Head of State. Fhied also believes that Nigeria’s support for Palestine was “fair and just”, considering Nigeria’s recent struggle with colonialism.
“Every single word you just said will be heard in Palestine”, stated Fhied, “the struggle is not finished yet. We count on your support and we wait for the day we will get our liberation…we do not want to destroy Israel. We do not want to de-legalize Israel; we want to have them as our neighbors…we hope the problem will finish, and we will be free”.
Alexis Henning
BA in Political Science and International Relations, Minor in Middle Eastern studies. US expat in Dublin, IE.
