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Lebanon joins opposition to Israel's AU membership 

August 20, 2021 at 2:13 pm

Participants are seen at the 30th African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 28 January 2018 [Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency]

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry yesterday welcomed a recent announcement by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) opposing the unilateral decision of the African Union to grant Israel observer status.

In an official statement, the ministry said that the SADC stance was “in line with the provisions of international law and historical solidarity.”

“The SADC member states’ stance has preserved the legacy of the struggle on the African continent against the policy of apartheid and colonial occupation,” the statement read.

The group calls on African countries “to lead international efforts to hold Israel accountable for its crimes, to end the policy of impunity, and to continue to oppose the frenzied colonial occupation.”

The Foreign Ministry described the SADC stance as a “principled position and a source of hope and strength that the Palestinian people, who yearn for their freedom and independence, will cherish.”

READ: The African Union is self-destructing by letting Israel have observer status