Head of African Union delegation compares Morsi to Mandela

The head of the African Union delegation currently in Egypt has compared ousted President Mohammed Morsi to South Africa’s iconic leader Nelson Mandela.

Alpha Oumar Konaré, the former President of Mali, said that Morsi is “The Egyptian Mandela” during a visit to Rabaa Al-Adawiyya Square where anti-coup protesters are still staging a sit-in.

Konaré met the leaders of the National Alliance to Return Legitimacy and told them that he had met with President Morsi for around two hours and told him that he would visit again. The ousted president, who is being held in an unknown location, told Konaré that he is “Welcome at any time”.

Commenting on his visit to the protest site, Konaré said that it was a “must” on his itinerary. He confirmed that there will be other visits and that his delegation will report back to the AU’s Peace and Security Council.

Asked for his impression of the protest, the African leader said that he was well informed about the “peaceful activities” of the Muslim Brotherhood. “We know the history of the Muslim Brotherhood very well,” he added.

The Vice-Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, Essam El-Erian, explained to Konaré what is happening in Egypt and said that there are attempts to undermine the country’s democratic achievements.