economic reconstruction of the Strip is illegal and a collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, adding that the consequences of this blockade are an ongoing crime against humanity that has to end immediately. With regard to Syria, the Secretary General asserted "We condemn the ongoing killings, bloodshed, deliberate killing of civilians, and destruction of homes and property. We were the first to intervene in order to solve the crisis in Syria since its beginning." He called upon the parties concerned to respond positively to the mission of the joint envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to stem the bloodshed of Muslims and reach a peaceful solution to the legitimate demands of the Syrian people within Syria's unity, security and stability. In this connection, he welcomed the Syrian opposition's agreement in the recent meeting in Doha to unify their ranks. Prof. Ihsanoglu reiterated the solidarity of the OIC with the National Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali in the face of the looming challenges to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He confirmed the Organization's support for the Burkina-Faso-led mediation efforts put in by the ECOWAS. He also indicated that a high-level delegation from the OIC General Secretariat would be dispatched to Mali and Burkina Faso to discuss the possibilities of peaceful negotiations that would spare the country the evils of war. Concerning the Sudan, the OIC Secretary General appealed to the international community to honour its commitments about writing off Sudan's debt and supporting its economy to face the post-cessation challenges. --More
