{"id":40365,"date":"2026-10-18T13:33:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T10:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/?p=40365"},"modified":"2026-10-18T13:36:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T10:36:45","slug":"statement-by-the-minister-of-foreign-affairs-and-expatriates-52nd-session-of-the-council-of-foreign-ministers-of-the-organization-of-islamic-cooperation-oic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/40365\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates \u2013 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)."},"content":{"rendered":"
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#Baghdad | Statement by H.E. Dr. Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zouba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, at the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Baghdad.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,<\/p>\n

Your Excellency Fuad Mohammed Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the brotherly Republic of Iraq, Chair of the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Your Excellency Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the brotherly Republic of T\u00fcrkiye, Chair of the 51st Session, Your Excellency Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Secretary\u2011General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Your Excellency Seedy Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, representing the Islamic Summit Presidency, Your Highnesses, Excellencies, and distinguished heads of delegations, Ladies and gentlemen, Peace be upon you.<\/p>\n

It is my pleasure to begin by expressing sincere thanks and appreciation to the brotherly Republic of Iraq for hosting the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and for its efforts to ensure the success of this meeting and strengthen joint Islamic action. We also express our appreciation to the brotherly Republic of T\u00fcrkiye for its efforts during its chairmanship of the previous session, and extend our congratulations to His Excellency the Secretary\u2011General, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, upon assuming his duties\u2014he who knows Yemen and its cause closely. We wish him and the General Secretariat success in serving the issues of our Ummah.<\/p>\n

Your Excellencies,<\/p>\n

We meet today at a critical moment in which our region faces escalating threats targeting the security, sovereignty, civilian facilities, and maritime routes of our states. These circumstances require that Islamic solidarity move from slogan to unified positions and practical steps that protect our peoples and countries.<\/p>\n

I speak to you on behalf of the Republic of Yemen, carrying the message of a people exhausted by the Houthi terrorist militia\u2014its coup, its war, and its siege of cities\u2014bringing displacement and poverty, yet remaining steadfast in their right to life, freedom, dignity, and the restoration of their national state institutions.<\/p>\n

I speak to you only days after the Iran\u2011backed Houthi terrorist militia targeted the Presidency and Government headquarters at Maashiq Palace in the interim capital, Aden, with ballistic missiles and drones, while simultaneously besieging Taiz, shelling its residential neighborhoods, starving its population, and targeting civilians in Marib, Lahj, and other governorates.<\/p>\n

These militias have dismantled state institutions through their coup, prolonged the war, and pushed millions of Yemenis into suffering. They exploited every truce and initiative to rearm and escalate. The state has no choice but to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities through Operation \u201cDawn of Yemen,\u201d announced by His Excellency President Rashad Mohammed Al\u2011Alimi, to restore institutions, extend authority over all national territory, and ensure that weapons and decisions of war and peace remain solely in the hands of the state.<\/p>\n

The Yemeni government, which has upheld the choice of peace for twelve years and engaged seriously with all regional and UN initiatives, will not accept a peace that rewards the coup or legitimizes weapons outside state institutions. Just and sustainable peace can only be built on respect for Yemen\u2019s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, restoration of its institutions, and adherence to the three agreed references: the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216.<\/p>\n

The Yemeni people have paid a heavy price in lives, security, resources, and the future of their children. In areas under militia control, our people are oppressed by force of arms, their livelihoods looted, their children forcibly recruited, subjected to ideological indoctrination, and their national identity undermined in educational institutions. Our cause is the liberation of our country and our people, and the restoration of a state that guarantees security, the rule of law, and human dignity for all Yemenis.<\/p>\n

Your Excellencies, The continuation of the war in Yemen cannot be separated from the military and technical support Iran provides to the Houthi militia, prolonging the conflict and turning Yemeni territory into a platform for threatening regional security. These interventions violate the principles of good neighborliness and respect for sovereignty upon which our Organization is founded, and require a clear and responsible stance rejecting all interference that fuels conflict.<\/p>\n

It is inconsistent for a party that arms one side of the conflict and supplies it with tools of destruction to present itself as a mediator, and to portray Yemen\u2019s struggle as a dispute between two countries, when it is in fact an armed coup against a member state of this Organization. We are astonished that Iran calls for mediation while arming, training, and supporting the Houthi militia, ensuring its threats reach neighboring states and international trade routes. The Islamic world clearly sees the contrast between Iran\u2019s polished political rhetoric and its destructive actions aimed at misleading the world and fabricating false legitimacy for the coup.<\/p>\n

The terrorism of this militia\u2014with its Iranian arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones\u2014threatens the security of our entire region and requires the same firmness shown in confronting ISIS. We therefore call on member states to designate the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, dry up its sources of financing, and halt the flow of weapons and military expertise to it.<\/p>\n

The Republic of Yemen expresses full solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the GCC states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and all Arab states affected by Iranian attacks and those of its armed proxies. Yemen affirms that its security is inseparable from that of its Arab and Islamic surroundings, and that targeting cities, airports, and civilian facilities is unacceptable and cannot be justified under any political or military pretext.<\/p>\n

When the Houthi militia launched a ballistic missile toward Mecca in 2016, the Executive Committee of our Organization convened in Jeddah and considered it a blatant provocation to Muslims and a grave violation of the sanctity of their holy sites. Today, the militia repeats the same pattern, attempting to target Mecca\u2014the Qibla of Muslims\u2014and Medina, the city of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the spiritual heart of Muslims worldwide. Our Organization has condemned these heinous attacks, which are established facts that cannot be erased by denial or propaganda.<\/p>\n

Any assault on the holiest sites of the Ummah is an attack on the entire Islamic world. Protecting the Two Holy Mosques and ensuring the safety of their visitors is a collective Islamic responsibility requiring a firm and unified stance and practical measures to deter such attacks and safeguard the sanctity of the holy sites and the security of worshippers.<\/p>\n

We also strongly condemn the Houthi attacks on Aden International Airport, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and other airports and cities in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Targeting civilian facilities, terrorizing travelers and worshippers, and endangering lives reveal the magnitude of the threat posed by this militia to Yemen\u2019s security, its neighbors, and civil aviation. We call for enhanced coordination among our states to protect civilians and civilian facilities and hold perpetrators accountable to prevent recurrence and safeguard regional stability.<\/p>\n

Your Excellencies,<\/p>\n

Threats to navigation in the Red Sea, Bab al\u2011Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden extend beyond Yemen to regional security, global trade, and supply chains. Protecting navigation cannot be achieved at sea alone; it requires restoring Yemeni state sovereignty over its territory and coastline, and enabling its institutions\u2014foremost among them the Coast Guard\u2014to fulfill their responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Combating terrorism and organized crime lies at the core of our Organization\u2019s objectives. Today we face a growing challenge: cross\u2011border cooperation between the Houthi militia, terrorist groups, smuggling networks, and organized crime extending into the Horn of Africa, providing weapons and funds that fuel violence and threaten member states.<\/p>\n

We therefore call for translating these responsibilities into practical steps that strengthen security cooperation, information exchange, dismantle financing and supply networks, and combat arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Failure to act today will make the cost of confrontation tomorrow far greater for all.<\/p>\n

On the humanitarian and development front, we emphasize the importance of expanding assistance to the Yemeni people, supporting economic recovery, and rebuilding institutions and essential services, prioritizing the most affected areas, foremost among them Taiz and Marib. We call for urgent action to lift the siege on Taiz and open safe corridors for food and medicine. We also look forward to a more active role from the Organization\u2019s financial, humanitarian, and development institutions through programs implemented in coordination with the Yemeni government.<\/p>\n

Your Excellencies,<\/p>\n

The Palestinian cause will remain the central cause of our Ummah, deeply rooted in the conscience of Yemenis. The Republic of Yemen reaffirms its steadfast position in support of the brotherly Palestinian people in their struggle to end the Israeli occupation and achieve their legitimate right to self\u2011determination and the establishment of an independent sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative. We affirm our categorical rejection of any form of displacement, the need to stop Israeli violations, protect civilians, and ensure humanitarian access.<\/p>\n

However, the Houthi militia has exploited the slogans of Palestine as a cover for its project and the agendas of its supporters\u2014claiming to defend Jerusalem while attempting to target Mecca and Medina. Yemen\u2019s position on Palestine\u2014state, government, and people\u2014is older and deeper than any attempt by a militia that has killed and displaced Yemenis to hijack it. Instrumentalizing Palestine to justify violence contradicts the teachings of our faith and does not justify attacks on civilians or threats to states and international navigation. Confronting Israeli aggression cannot be achieved through proxy wars; true solidarity with the Palestinian people begins with a unified Arab and Islamic stance and political, diplomatic, and humanitarian action that protects their legitimate rights, not through actions that expand suffering and drag the region into further conflict.<\/p>\n

The Yemeni people have endured long years of war, displacement, and siege, and they deserve a sincere stance that restores their hope in a state that guarantees security, peace, and dignity. Supporting Yemen is supporting the sovereignty of states, rejecting armed coups, and protecting the stability of the entire region. We are confident that this Organization\u2014founded on safeguarding the sovereignty and security of its members\u2014will stand with the Yemeni state in extending its authority and protecting its people.<\/p>\n

Peace be upon you.<\/p>\n

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#Baghdad | Statement by H.E. Dr. Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zouba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, at the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Baghdad. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Your Excellency Fuad Mohammed Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":40337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[74,106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-breaking-news","category-press-releases"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-10-17-at-5.36.36-PM.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40365"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40368,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40365\/revisions\/40368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofa-ye.org\/Pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}