Guyana is facing its gravest national security threat since independence, but according to Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, it is President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s calm and strategic leadership that has kept the country from the brink of chaos.
Speaking at a large public meeting at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara on Monday, the Minister of Legal Affairs said that “We have always had to defend our territorial integrity, but over the last five years, the threat reached its highest point ever, almost to the brink of a physical invasion.”
Confronting an issue of this magnitude required more than strength; it demanded visionary leadership, strategic thinking, high-level diplomacy, and exceptional statesmanship, AG Nandlall told the hundreds of residents who turned out to participate in the meeting.
“I saw a level of skill and intuition that far exceeded his years. His dedication to this country is unmatched. And because of that, we have been able to overcome the most formidable of challenges.”
He recalled sitting in on key engagements with the president and witnessing, firsthand, his maturity, composure, and the foresight with which he handled the crisis.
“Today, we have CARICOM on our side. We have the Organisation of American States on our side. We have the European Union on our side. We have the United Nations on our side. We have the US government on our side. We have the United Kingdom Government on our side. We have the Commonwealth on our side, and we have most of the world on our side,” the Attorney General announced to a loud round of approving applause.
He cautioned Guyanese not to take this support for granted, reminding them of the importance of steady leadership as the country awaits the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in 2027.
“Come 2027, the ICJ will uphold our case, but we cannot afford to hand over the reins of this situation to another government. We cannot take that risk. They are not to be trusted,” he warned.
The Minister of Legal Affairs reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the principles of international law, the peaceful resolution of disputes and to the ICJ for a final, peaceful and lawful resolution of the controversy concerning the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that had settled the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
