The United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was commemorated at a ceremony held at the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Accra, Ghana, over the weekend.
The event, organised by the United Nations, brought together high-ranking dignitaries, including the Palestinian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Abdulfattah Ahmed Khahil Alsattari, the Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, Egypt, Chiefs and representatives from various diplomatic missions.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Alsattari urged the international community to recommit to justice, human rights, and the two-state solution as the only viable path to lasting peace in the Middle East. He expressed deep appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama, the Government and people of Ghana, and the United Nations for their consistent support of the Palestinian cause.
Alsattari highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine, citing decades of displacement, demolition of homes, restrictions, and military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. “The suffering of Palestinians did not begin on 7 October 2023,” he said. “Tens of thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, journalists, and health workers, have been killed or injured, while homes, schools, universities, churches, and mosques have been destroyed.”
The Ambassador reaffirmed Palestinians’ commitment to peace, referencing the 1993 Oslo Accord, and stressed that peace in the Middle East is impossible without an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. He called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to work towards a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.
The event was attended by distinguished guests, including the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Cross, and the Ambassadors of Egypt, Turkiye, and other countries. In a show of solidarity, the Pan Africanism Secretariat (PAT) declared support for a Palestinian state, condemning Israel’s “genocidal assault” on Palestinians.
Pan Africanism Secretariat statement highlighted the connection between Palestinian liberation and African liberation, urging global mobilisation and action. “The liberation of the Palestinian people is inseparable from the full liberation of the African people,” the statement read.
The commemoration served as a powerful reminder of the international community’s commitment to the Palestinian cause and the urgent need for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict. As Ambassador Alsattari said, “My people will stay on their land, and we believe the occupation will end one day.”
