While all eyes will turn to Jeddah on Friday, when the Arab Summit will convene amid complex geopolitical conditions and multiple Arab crises, topped by the armed conflict in Sudan, Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti stressed that the Arab peoples were counting on the summit to come out with decisions that contain the crises and strengthen joint Arab action.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Guelleh said that the Arab Summit was being held in light of multiple and complex geopolitical changes and critical circumstances in some Arab countries.
“The most important thorny files in the Arab world will top the agenda of the summit, as well as the various geopolitical developments in the region,” he stated.
Emphasizing the centrality of Saudi Arabia in strengthening the Arab decision and unifying the ranks, the president of Djibouti noted that challenges in the Arab world were many and complex.
“Many of the brotherly countries are going through critical conditions, such as Sudan, which is witnessing a very deteriorating and dangerous situation, as well as Yemen”, he said, expressing “great optimism” for the Saudi efforts to solve the crisis, put an end to the suffering of the Yemenis, and restore security and stability in the country.
Guelleh also pointed to the continuous Israeli violations of Islamic and Christian sanctities in occupied Jerusalem, denouncing “the Israeli occupation police storming and desecrating the Gate of Mercy chapel, which is an integral part of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as raising the Israeli occupation flag on the roof and walls of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron.”
“This is a flagrant violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions, and the resolutions of international legitimacy, and a provocation to the feelings of the Islamic nation”, the president underlined.
He added: “We hope that the current Arab summit will come out with recommendations and decisions that would contribute to resolving the crisis and the critical conditions that the Arab world is going through.”
Asked about the means to address the Sudanese file, as Djibouti is member of IGAD, Guelleh said that his country was following with great concern the developments in Sudan.
The president stressed that the IGAD group has put forward a mediation initiative to resolve the crisis, and assigned the presidents of Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan to go to Sudan. But he added that the movement of the three presidents towards Khartoum depended on a cease-fire and the commitment to the truce.
“We are ready to start effective mediation, and we hope that the IGAD initiative will contribute to finding an urgent solution to the worsening crisis since mid-April. We also salute the current mediation by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States in the Jeddah Dialogue to reach a cease-fire,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Commenting on Syria’s return to the Arab League, the president of Djibouti expressed his country’s commitment to a political solution in Syria that meets the aspirations of the people and ends their sufferings.
“Based on this, we welcome the progress towards ending the Syrian crisis, which lifts the political isolation of brotherly Syria, ends the suffering of its dear people, and fulfills their aspirations for security, stability, development and prosperity,” he stated.
Commenting on global geopolitical changes and the formation of new blocs, Guelleh said that the Arab world cannot be isolated from these developments.
“It is normal for any Arab country to cooperate with any bloc... if it sees its interest, in a manner that does not contradict joint Arab action and the constants of the international community”, he stated.
Guelleh added that his country welcomed any US-Chinese competition in Africa that falls in the interest of development.
Touching on the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing, the president of Djibouti warned that the negative effects of the war were not limited to a specific geographical area, but cast a shadow over the entire world and impeded economic growth.
He said in this regard: “We renew our support for international efforts aimed at ending the crisis politically, and we also hope that the parties to the conflict will accept negotiation.”
As for the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the revival of bilateral ties, Guelleh expressed his belief that it would reflect positively on the development of the two countries, as well as the region as a whole.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Any rapprochement and cooperation between two countries of the weight and size of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran will undoubtedly contribute to laying the foundations for stability and development in the entire region, and will enhance joint Islamic action.”
Guelleh stressed that Saudi Arabia has always supported Djibouti’s development on various levels, pointing to the presence of several joint committees that seek to promote economic, security and military cooperation between the two countries.
“Based on the tremendous development that we have achieved during the past two decades in the field of ports in terms of quantity and quality, we look forward to strengthening cooperation between the two brotherly countries in the field of maritime transport, logistics services and ports”, he remarked.
He added that work was underway to launch joint projects in the field of sea and air transport, and to establish a free zone and warehouses dedicated for Saudi exports and products within the international free trade zone in Djibouti.
