Politics

European countries reject Trump’s Gaza relocation, takeover proposal

Published

10 months ago

February 5, 2025

Donald Trump

The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and other European countries have rejected United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate and take over the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip.
The European countries made the strong opposition on Wednesday.

The rejection by US allies comes as President Trump, in a press conference with Israeli counterpart Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, hinted at a “long-term ownership position” over Gaza and plans to move its residents to a “good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” in another country.

However, Trump’s proposal had sparked outrage from European countries.

This is the case as the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Wednesday rejected Trump’s proposal.

In his words, “I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians, and they must stay in Gaza.”

He added, “Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state Spain supports and has to coexist, guaranteeing the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety.

Similarly, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Christophe Lemoine also rejected Trump’s Gaza Strip takeover talks.

“France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as for the entire region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement.

On his part, UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said Palestinians should be able to “live and prosper” in Gaza and the West Bank, hitting back at Trump’s proposal.

“We must see Palestinians able to live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza, in the West Bank. That is what we want to get to,” Lammy said at a press conference in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Also, Germany’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, stressed that the Gaza Strip belongs to Palestinians and that their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law.

“It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred,” said Baerbock in a statement, adding, “There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians.”

Outside, European countries, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday also rejected Trump’s Gaza takeover proposal.

Ekwutosblog reports that Netanyahu is the first leader who has officially met with Trump after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, as the US 47th president.

Politics

President Tinubu Approves Membership For US-nigeria Working Group

Published

21 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

President Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of steps to deepen collaboration in tackling security challenges in the country.

The composition of the Joint Working Group was part of the agreement reached during the recent trip to Washington, DC, by a high-level Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Ribadu is to lead the Nigerian side of the Joint Working Group, supported by a multi-stakeholder team comprising senior officials from relevant government establishments.

Members of the Joint Working Group include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard M. Doro, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed and the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.

Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Mr Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in the US will serve as the secretariat.

President Tinubu has urged members of the Joint Working Group to work assiduously with their US counterparts to ensure smooth operationalisation of all agreements across sectors.

Politics

AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF Condemn Guinea-Bissau Military Takeover, Demand Restoration of Democratic Order

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Election-observation missions from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) have jointly condemned the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, calling it a direct assault on the country’s democratic process.

In a strongly worded statement, the observer groups denounced the suspension of the presidential and legislative elections, which had been conducted peacefully on 23 November. They praised the citizens of Guinea-Bissau for their orderly participation and commended electoral officials and security personnel for maintaining professionalism throughout the vote.

The missions described the military intervention as a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” noting that the takeover occurred while the nation awaited the official announcement of election results. With both leading presidential candidates having pledged to respect the final outcome, observers said the coup threatened to erode confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.

The joint statement also expressed deep concern over the detention of government and electoral officials by the military, urging their immediate release and the swift restoration of constitutional rule. The observers warned that halting the electoral process could reverse years of regional efforts to strengthen political stability and democratic norms in Guinea-Bissau.

Regional and international bodies are now intensifying calls for the reinstatement of civilian authority and the continuation of the electoral process, emphasising the need to safeguard the will of the people at a critical moment in the country’s political trajectory.

Politics

Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it- Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

‎The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has urged the South-East people to use dialogue and peaceful means to address the recent imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu

‎She added that the people of the South-East should emulate other zones and learn to solve their challenges “through dialogue and peaceful ways.”

Bianca ‎Ojukwu made the remarks at the 14th edition of the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day Celebration held at the Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, Imo State, on Wednesday
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‎She noted that although the court of first instance had sentenced Kanu to imprisonment, “all hope are not lost,” adding that through dialogue and peaceful methods, Nnamdi Kanu could be released from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
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‎The Ojukwu’s annual memorial day was instituted by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the founder of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASOB
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‎The event is usually attended by Igbo people from the five South-East states and beyond.
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‎During her address, Mrs. Ojukwu called for a minute of silence for the late BBC journalist, Mr. Frederick Forsyth, “who resigned her job to cover all things that happened during the 1967 to 1970 Biafra and Nigeria civil war.”
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‎She said, “Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it”
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“‎This coming Christmas, all of us should endeavour to meet with our National Assembly members and our governors, ask them the way forward to ensure that Kanu is freed from the prison”
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‎“Also, all of us should come together, plan ourselves on how to use peaceful means to settle this matter, we should plan how to meet with President Bola Tinubu and amicably resolve this matter.”