Why Trump's 'Board of Peace' is Causing So Much Controversy

Why Trump 'Board of Peace' dey so controversial Author, By Paula Adamo Idoeta Role, BBC News World Service 41 minutes wey don pass Read am in 8 mins Initially dey backed by di UN as part of Donald Trump Gaza peace plan, di US president 'new international transitional body', dey cause concerns as more details dey come out From di executive board members – wey include Tony Blair, di former British Prime Minister, e support di 2003 invasion of Iraq, but not Palestinians – to $1bn fees for permanent membership, to concerns ova di role of di UN, we ansa some of di key kwesions. Who don dey invited to join Trump Board of Peace? Dem don send letter to dozens of world leaders to join Trump Peace Board, according to reports, including: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Polish President Karol Nawrocki Russian President Vladimir Putin Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Dem don also invite New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to join di board and e go give am "due consideration". Di Thai Foreign Ministry also tok say e dey review di details. Who don agree to join Trump Board of Peace? Pipo wey don already accept publicly include: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama Argentine President Javier Milei Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev Vietnam Communist Party general secretary Tô Lâm don accept, while Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko tok say e dey "ready to participate." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney don also accept,but e no go pay to become member. Wetin dey required to join Trump Board of Peace? One US official tell CBS News say no requirement to join – but pipo wey become permanent members, instead of just three-year membership, go pay $1bn. Dem go use di money to help rebuild Gaza, officials add. But di board – wey Trump go chair for life, even if e no be US president – go later expand to deal wit oda other conflicts, according to di copy of di letter and draft charter wey Reuters news agency see. Trump Board of Peace fit undermine di UN? Inside di letter, Trump tok say di board go dey 'start new bold way to solve global conflicts'. And dis one get di potential to fit undermine di UN Security Council wey dey in responsible in peacemaking and peacekeeping as well as international sanctions. Di Israeli Haaretz newspaper report say di charter open by emphasising di need for 'more quick and effective international peace-building body', adding lasting peace need 'di courage to depart from... institutions wey don fail too many times'. In di statement on di Board of Peace, di White House tok say: 'Dis milestone dey perfectly align wit United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.' But one source close to French President Emmanuel Macron tell AFP news agency say di charter 'go beyond di Gaza matta', e add say: 'E raise di big questions, particularly about respect for di principles and structure of di United Nations, under no circumstances dem fit call dem into question.' Meanwhile, Khaled Elgindy from di Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft tell Reuters: 'E get di feeling from di administration say dem wan expand di reach of di Board of Peace and even replace di current UN system. 'So e clear say Gaza fit be di beginning but e no be di end of di board as far as di Trump administration dey concerned.' Di Trump administration don dey cut US funds to di UN. US vetoes don block di Security Council from taking action to end di war for Gaza. And on 7 January 2026, Trump sign memo to withdraw di US from 31 UN entities wey 'dey operate contrary to US national interests', including di UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and di UN Democracy Fund. How dem go take run Trump Peace Board? As well as the Board of Peace, two subsidiary senior boards have been announced: di "founding Executive Board", wit high-level focus on investment and diplomacy di "Gaza Executive Board", wey dey responsible for overseeing all on-di-ground work of di National Committee for di Administration of Gaza, one committee of technocrats wey dey manage di temporary governance and rebuilding of Gaza Di White House tok say di pipo wey go sit for dis boards go make sure say dem get "effect governance and deliver best-in-class services wey go help bring peace, stability, and prosperity for di pipo of Gaza." Trump go chair di seven-strong "founding Executive board" wey go guide Gaza through di next phase of reconstruction, according to White House talk. Oda members include: Secretary of State, Marco Rubio Special Envoy to di Middle East, Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner Also on dis board na former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, e inclusion still dey controversial as, in 2003, he carry di UK enta di Iraq War base on claim say Iraq get weapons of mass destruction, but e no be true Each member go get dia own portfolio "critical to Gaza stabilisation", di White House tok. Palestinians and Israelis dey represented on Trump Board of Peace? No Palestinian dey for any executive board. Only one Israeli dey for Gaza Executive Board, na real estate billionaire Yakir Gabay wey born for Israel but now dey based for Cyprus. E also include senior politicians from kontris like Qatar and Turkey wey don criticize Israel conduct for di war wey dey happun for Gaza Strip. Palestinians dey expect 'much wider representation', politician Mustafa Barghouti tell BBC News World Service Weekend programme. "E be like say na just American board, wit some international elements," he tok. Di fact say di role of di Palestinian administrative group dey approved during peace tok for Cairo, " e no dey clear", weda e go fit cause "problem", Barghouti tok. And express doubt ova Israel willingness to open di Rafah crossing to facilitate di reconstruction of Gaza. Israel meanwhile, tok say dem no dey included for di discussion about who go dey di executive boards. Dis one "no dey coordinated wit Isreal and run contrary to di policy," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office add. Israel opposition leader Yair Lapid call di announcement 'diplomatic failure for Israel'. And dia far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, write on X: 'Di Gaza Strip no need any 'administrative committee' to ova see dia 'rehabilitation' - e need to clear out Hamas terrorists.' Trump Board of Peace fit fix Gaza? Hamas don tok say dem go disarm only as part of a wider deal establishing a Palestinian state. And Israel, ground troops still dey in control of most part of Gaza Strip, dem tok say dem go pull out only if Hamas disarm. How fast Trump Board of Peace go fit drive change and make concrete steps towards lasting peace, wey we wan see.