KUALA LUMPUR – – U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he has “settled eight wars”, including the conflict in Gaza, should be treated with caution because a ceasefire or reduction in hostilities does not necessarily amount to a lasting resolution, Malaysia’s Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation (MAPIM) said.
Trump repeated the claim during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, saying his administration had helped bring an end to eight conflicts.
The White House has identified the conflicts as Cambodia-Thailand, Kosovo-Serbia, Democratic Republic of Congo-Rwanda, Pakistan-India, Egypt-Ethiopia, Armenia-Azerbaijan, Israel-Iran and Gaza.
MAPIM President Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said the cases should be assessed individually, particularly because some involved armed clashes while others were long-running diplomatic or territorial disputes.
“The distinction between a ceasefire, de-escalation, a political agreement and durable peace is critical,” Azmi said in a statement.
He said the situation in Gaza required particular scrutiny, arguing that the cessation of fighting alone could not determine whether the conflict had been resolved.
Questions over Gaza’s political status, Palestinian self-determination, reconstruction, security arrangements, borders, settlements, Jerusalem, refugees and accountability for alleged violations of international law remained important to any assessment of a lasting settlement, he said.
“A ceasefire should not automatically be equated with a comprehensive peace settlement,” Azmi said.
He also pointed to the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, saying Egypt and Ethiopia had experienced serious diplomatic tensions but had not fought a conventional war that could simply be described as having been ended by Trump.
Trump’s claim of credit for the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan has also been disputed by India, which has said the ceasefire followed direct communication between the two countries’ military leadership rather than U.S. mediation.
Azmi said some of the conflicts cited by Trump had also experienced renewed violence or remained subject to unresolved political disputes.
“Trump’s diplomatic role can and should be examined on its actual merits. Where his intervention contributed to a ceasefire, that contribution can be acknowledged,” he said.
“But the stronger assertion that he has ‘ended eight wars’ requires a much higher evidentiary standard.”
Azmi said the impact of any peace initiative should ultimately be assessed by conditions on the ground, including the safety of civilians, humanitarian access, reconstruction, political rights and mechanisms to prevent renewed conflict.
“Peace should be measured by the condition of the people, not by the political claims of the mediator,” he said.
“A ceasefire is an event. Peace is a process. Justice is a condition. Reconciliation is a long-term achievement.” – DETIK MALAYSIA
About the Author
