Algeria: Israel's observer status may divide the AU

Insistence on granting Israel observer status at the African Union (AU) could lead to its division, the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, warned yesterday.

On Tuesday, seven Arabic-speaking member states, including Algeria, Egypt, Comoros, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania and Libya, rejected a recent decision by the AU’s Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat to grant Israel observer status in the pan-African organisation. The move was reported to have been backed by five other members.

On 22 July, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said its ambassador in Ethiopia, Admasu Allele, had presented his credentials as an observer member to the AU. The ministry did not provide details about the reasons behind the move.

African media recently reported that Israel was planning to achieve “political, economic, security and military gains in Africa,” noting that the occupation’s interests were “against the Arab and African nations”.

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