African leaders join Arab-Islamic counterparts in Qatar to champion Palestine's cause

Leaders from across Africa and the wider Arab-Islamic world convened in Doha on Monday for an extraordinary summit, called in response to last week’s Israeli strike on the Qatari capital that killed five Hamas leaders and a Qatari security officer.

The gathering marked one of the most significant diplomatic assemblies in recent years, underscoring the growing solidarity among Arab and African states in the face of what they described as a dangerous escalation.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was among the first African leaders to arrive in Doha. Presidential spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said El-Sisi’s participation sent “a strong signal of Egypt’s full solidarity with the State of Qatar,” while reinforcing Cairo’s long-standing position on defending Arab sovereignty against external aggression.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also joined the summit, with Villa Somalia framing his attendance as a reflection of Mogadishu’s renewed engagement in Arab and Islamic affairs.

Palestinian cause

From Sudan, Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) Chairman and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan led a high-level delegation, accompanied by Foreign Minister Mohy-Eddin Salim and General Intelligence Director Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, according to the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA).

Algeria dispatched its Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to represent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a move consistent with Algiers’ tradition of championing Palestinian causes. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, and Libya’s Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed Al-Menfi also travelled to Doha.

The Gambia was represented by Vice President Muhammad Jallow, while Morocco’s King Mohammed VI delegated Prince Moulay Rachid.

The breadth of African participation underscored the continent’s growing alignment with the Palestinian cause. Nearly all African states backed the recent New York Declaration endorsing a two-state solution, with only South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Cameroon abstaining.

Deadly war on Palestinians

Beyond Africa, the summit drew heavyweight figures including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa. They joined dozens of ministers and senior officials from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), making the summit one of the broadest coalitions assembled in recent times.

The Doha summit was convened not only in direct response to the Israeli strike, but also against the backdrop of the war on Gaza, where nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, has played a central role in ceasefire talks and humanitarian mediation, further cementing its place as both a diplomatic and humanitarian hub.

In convening the emergency summit, Qatar sought to rally Arab and Islamic voices to defend its sovereignty while refocusing international attention on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

The summit concluded with calls for accountability, renewed solidarity with Palestine, and commitments to uphold Qatar’s sovereignty — sending a clear message that Doha, despite Israeli pressure, is not standing alone.