In Feb 2024, Prince Khalid bin Salman, minister of defence and director of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), reported Saudi Arabia’s promise of $26.6 million in backing of the coalition. He stated this while inaugurating the second session of the IMCTC defence ministers in Riyadh. Ministers of defence from 42 member nations and three backing countries attended the conference under the motto “Fighting terrorism is a shared responsibility.”
In his opening address, Prince Khalid highlighted the Kingdom’s support for the Fund for Financing Initiatives of IMCTC, stating that this confirms the Kingdom’s policy and commitment to spreading the values of moderation and preventing violence and extremism.
The minister emphasized the role of the message of the Islamic religion in fighting extremism and terrorism to attain global security and peace. “This funding seeks to support the Initiatives Fund, as well as to enforce 46 training programs for candidates from member nations, for training in the field of teamwork, in addition to establishing a special initiative titled “The Islamic Military Coalition Program to Combat Terrorism for the Sahel Countries.”
Prince Khalid bin Salman voiced his aspiration for the contribution of member states in sustaining the Fund for Financing Initiatives and delivering training programs, which will help accomplish the objectives of the IMCTC per its governance. “The IMCTC governments are aware of the threat of terrorist groups and organizations, which are continually seeking, through their capabilities and resources, to sabotage security and hinder the development and construction activity in many countries of the world,” he stated while emphasising the coalition’s endeavour to donate to the fight against terrorism, by coordinating actions and launching joint initiatives, according to a precise methodology, which is designed, with the participation of representatives of partner states, for the coming three years.”
Prince Khalid indicated that the aspirations of the IMCTC need concerted efforts, in addition to integration, collaboration and partnership between member states, various nations of the world and international bodies. “This course will be able to achieve the hopes and aspirations of leaders and peoples, in fighting terrorism intellectually and militarily, and drying up its sources of grant,” he stated. The meeting of defence ministers examined ways to strengthen the fight against terrorism, in addition to supporting the efforts made in this respect through strategic coalitions that contribute to fulfilling all the goals of the coalition.
On the sidelines of the session, Prince Khalid assembled with Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of the Interior Sheikh Fahd Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Libya’s Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, and Defense Minister of Djibouti Hassan Omar Burhan, Defense Minister of Sudan Yassin Abdul Hadi, and Mauritanian Defense Minister Hanna Ould Sidi. They discussed regional and international developments, issues of common interest, and defence and military cooperation.
The IMCTC must be an intergovernmental counter-terrorist military coalition, which consists of 41 Muslim countries, united around the fight against ISIS and other counter-terrorist activities. It was launched by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman while he was the minister of defence in December 2015. The partnership was to have a joint operations centre in Riyadh
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