Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Islamic Military Coalition to Fight Terrorism (ISMAC) announced on Thursday that Kenya joined the alliance, taking the number of member states in the grouping to 42.

The declaration culminated in raising the Kenyan national flag alongside the flags of 41 member states at the headquarters of the Coalition in Riyadh.

Kenyan Ambassador to the Kingdom Peter Nicholas Ratang Aqgu and Colonel Mohammed Aden, who had been delegated to the Alliance's headquarters as a representative of Kenya, were present at the ceremony.

Secretary-General of the Islamic Alliance-designate Major General Mohammed Al-Mughaidi said Kenya's accession to the group was a positive step, stressing that international participation would entail all-out efforts to fight terrorism and combat extremist violence.

Al-Mughaidi stressed that by being a member, the Kenyan Republic, with its various religious and cultural spectrums and important geographical location east of the African continent, would have a significant positive impact on the Islamic Alliance, as it is already an effective participant in many regional and international organizations concerned with fighting terrorism.