Honorable Bakary Y. Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports, was amongst the dignitaries who delivered the opening statement at the 5th General Assembly of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum Istanbul, Türkiye.
In his remarks, Hon. Minister said the Gambia Government and its people and, by extension, all other African Muslims countries are committed to continuing to support the agenda of the ICYF and the entire Muslim ummah.
He said the Gambia act of taking the case against Myanmar on the atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslim minority to the ICC, and the recent public condemnation of the aggression being committed by Israel on the Palestinians in Gaza reaffirms the country's unwavering commitment to defending the rights of Muslim brothers and sisters whenever necessary.
"We wish to also use this occasion to condemn the recent terrorist attack on the Turkish city of Istanbul," Minister Badjie emphasised.
The youth Minister revealed that The Gambia is preparing to host the 15th OIC Heads of State and Government meeting in Banjul this year, and the President and people of The Gambia look forward to receiving delegates in the Smiling Coast of Africa.
Minister Badjie thanked the Turkish government and its people through H.E President Ardogan for their continuous support of the ideals and principles of the Muslim Ummah. He added that The Gambia as a country has benefitted greatly from the generosity of the Turkish people, especially towards hosting the upcoming OIC summit.
He encouraged governments of the Islamic countries to continue to engage and invest in young people's education, skills development, and economic empowerment in order to take them and their families out of poverty and prevent young people from being used as elements to promote violence and extremism.
