Politics

Saudi crown prince says Israel committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Published

5 months ago

November 13, 2024

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” in some of the harshest public criticism of the country by a Saudi official since the start of the war.
Speaking at a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders the prince also criticised Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Iran.
Israel has vehemently denied that its forces are committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
In a sign of improving ties between rivals Riyadh and Tehran, Prince Mohammed also warned Israel against launching attacks on Iranian soil.

Saudi’s de facto leader was joined by other leaders present in calling for a total Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said it was a “failing of the international community” that the war in Gaza had not been stopped, accusing Israel of causing starvation in the territory.
Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud said: “Where the international community primarily has failed is ending the immediate conflict and putting an end to Israel’s aggression.”
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, which saw hundreds of gunmen enter southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign to destroy Hamas, during which more than 43,400 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
A report by the UN’s Human Rights Office found that close to 70% of verified victims over a six-month period in Gaza were women and children.
Leaders at the summit also condemned what they described as Israel’s “continuous attacks” against UN staff and facilities in Gaza.
Last month, the Knesset passed a bill to ban Unrwa, the UN Palestinian refugee agency, from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, accusing the organisation of colluding with Hamas.
Several countries, including the US and the UK, have expressed serious concern about the move limiting the agency’s ability to transfer aid to Gaza.
In the backdrop of the well-attended summit, is Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Gulf leaders are aware of his closeness to Israel, but they also have good relations with him, and want him to use his influence and his fondness for deal-making to secure an end to conflicts in this region.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump is viewed much more favourably than Joe Biden, but his track record in the Middle East is mixed.
He pleased Israel and angered the Muslim world by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as well as the annexation of the occupied Golan Heights. He also secured the Abraham Accords in 2020 which saw the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco establish full diplomatic relations with Israel and Sudan agree to do so.
One editorial in a leading Saudi newspaper today is titled: “A new era of hope. Trump’s return and the promise of stability.”

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Politics

Your coalition has crumbled — Presidency mocks Atiku as more politicians join APC

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Atiku Abubakar

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Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, has claimed that the political ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s have crumbled.

Onanuga believes Atiku’s proposed coalition is falling apart due to the defection of key allies to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a post on X, Onanuga criticized the coalition efforts being led by Atiku, which includes a former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, and Labour Party’s vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.

“Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated.

“Potential allies, including former running mate Ifeanyi Okowa and defunct CPC members, are giving his leprous group a wide berth. Atiku is a loser again,” Onanuga stated.

Onanuga’s comments followed a similar post by fellow presidential aide Tunde Rahman, who noted that PDP’s internal crisis had deepened with the defection of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and incumbent Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the APC.

Rahman described the development as “the biggest shocker ever” for Atiku, whose 2023 presidential bid fell short.

Politics

Kenneth Okonkwo Predicts Regret for PDP Defectors, Says 2027 Election Will Be People vs APC

Published

6 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Kenneth Okonkwo (Andy)

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Nollywood veteran and political commentator, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed strong disapproval of the recent wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that those making the move will come to regret it within a year.

Okonkwo’s remarks come in the wake of the high-profile defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, along with several commissioners and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, who all officially joined the APC on Wednesday.

Reacting via a post on X, the actor-turned-politician did not hold back, accusing the defectors of abandoning their parties for selfish reasons—chiefly to evade anti-corruption scrutiny and secure personal benefits rather than serve the Nigerian people.

According to him, the ruling party’s alleged incompetence and corrupt practices will worsen economic conditions, increase hunger and suffering, and ultimately lead to widespread discontent among citizens.

“Mark my words,” Okonkwo wrote, “Before one year from now, these spineless, shameless, and corrupt members of the opposition parties who are running into the APC now to escape EFCC and for stomach infrastructure at the expense of the Nigerian economy and Nigerian people will regret their actions.”

He further asserted that the ruling APC’s misgovernance would be so glaring that the 2027 general election would no longer be a typical party contest but a showdown between the Nigerian people and the APC government.