The African Union summit has overturned the decision to grant Israel observer status in the pan-African organization. This was conveyed by an Algerian source said on Sunday (6/2/2022).
Algeria participated in the two-day African Union summit, which opened in ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Saturday. "The summit decided to remove the decision to grant Israel observer status in the African Union," a source in the Algerian delegation was quoted as saying by private TV channel Echorouk.
"The decision crowns the efforts of Algeria and other countries to overturn the decision," he added, as reported by the Middle East Monitor, Monday (02/07/2022).
According to the source, a committee made up of representatives of Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Nigeria has been formed to make recommendations on the issue at the upcoming African Union summit.
In July 2021, Israel announced its ambassador to Ethiopia, Admasu Al-Ali, had handed over his credentials as an observer member in the African Union. His credentials were received unilaterally by African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Several member states, particularly Algeria and South Africa, protested the Mahamat decision. They said they had not been consulted about the move.
In an interview with Radio France International and satellite channel France 24 ahead of the summit, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra denounced the African Union's decision to grant Israel observer status. Lamamra said the African Union had made a double mistake.
"This is bad for the organization and could jeopardize the solidarity that must exist among member states," he said.
At the summit in Addis Ababa, the African Union will discuss Israel's request for observer status. A decision on the matter was postponed by the Executive Board of the African Union.