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“The atrocities in Gaza must come to an end now” – President Ali
President Irfaan Ali
Kaieteur News – On the occasion of Guyana’s 54TH Anniversary as a Republic, President Irfaan Ali repeated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The President’s call comes weeks after Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett registered the country’s call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Gaza at the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
In his address at a flag-raising ceremony held in the compound of the Public Buildings on Thursday night the President said, “… On our 54th Republic, we make a call once more to the world that the atrocities in Gaza must come to an end now.”
He continued, “The killing must stop now. The only solution is a ceasefire and for the two countries to move towards a two-state solution. That has always been our fundamental position, and we call on all parties to move in this direction.”
The President reminded Guyanese that the small South American nation has been consistent in its position on the Israel/ Palestine conflict.
Guyana has, for years, called for the two states to co-exist peacefully. Such a solution to the Israel/ Palestine conflict would result in an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.
Earlier this month, at a meeting of the UN Security Council chaired by Guyana, Rodrigues-Birkett told the international media that Guyana does not believe that “we should not wait another day for that for a ceasefire.” Rodrigues- Birkett was at the time responding to questions from journalists at a press briefing.
The UN Security Council meeting was convened later that day and Rodrigues-Birkett during a statement urged swift resolution of the situation to benefit those in need of assistance and emphasised that a ceasefire is priority.
“Following developments in the war and listening to the briefings by UN agencies…one may be moved to wonder whether a bounty exists on the head of every Palestinian child, man or woman”, Rodrigues-Birkett said while adding that although some Palestinians managed bombs and bullets, they still “face the dire prospect of death from starvation or disease”. “Can the Council keep silent in these circumstances? Of course not! The international community, and this Council in particular, must spare no effort to end this cycle of bloodshed,” she continued.
It was reported widely earlier this month, that Algeria, a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, had requested a council meeting to enforce an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling regarding Israel and hinted that it will call for ceasefire in a draft Resolution. That call by Algeria before the UN has since been vetoed by the United States.
A genocide case against Israel was brought before the ICJ on December 29, 2023 by South Africa. The ICJ gave its ruling on the case almost a month later on January 26, 2023. The court did not grant South Africa’s key request for a ceasefire in the region but rejected Israel’s request to throw out the genocide case. It found that there is a plausible “imminent risk” that Palestinians require protection and concluded that Gaza’s population was “extremely vulnerable. The court reportedly acknowledged too that some of the emergency measures sought by South Africa were essential to preserving Palestinian rights.
The ICJ did not order a ceasefire but ruled that Israel must take must steps to prevent genocidal acts. Other measures include punishing incitement to Genocide and immediately enabling humanitarian relief in the Gaza Strip.
Since the beginning of the war on October 7, it has reportedly displaced about 1.9 million people of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. More than 25,700 people have also been killed in the Israeli assault, mostly women and children.
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