In the absence of six member states, the African Union summit kicked off on Saturday in Addis Ababa, where African leaders are expected to discuss for two days military coups and political crises taking place on the continent, as well as regional conflicts, including the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh addressed the attendees, saying: “Let the voice of Africa and the voice of your union be heard for the freedom of Palestine, the right of its people to self-determination and the embodiment of the Palestinian state and its recognition as a member state of the United Nations.”
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit praised African positions towards the Palestinian crisis, saying they reflected the values of justice, law and human rights.
Aboul Gheit also emphasized “the importance of maintaining and strengthening these stances” to contribute to ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
In his speech before the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat said a “complete genocide” was being committed against the Palestinian people, denouncing the violation of human rights in Gaza.
Also on Saturday, the AU leaders selected Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani as rotating president of the Union for the year 2024, succeeding the head of the Comoros, Ghazali Othmani.
Addressing the attendees, Ghazouani stressed that the Palestinians have the right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and demanded an end to the killing of people in Gaza.
He also called for reforming the international system, which he said was selective, “often at the expense of the weakest and least developed countries, as is the case with the issues and rights of the countries of our African continent.”
He praised the African Union’s positions that reject injustice, advocate for just causes and adhere to international law and humanitarian law, especially with regard to the Palestinian file.
Meanwhile, press reports said organizers prevented an Israeli delegation from entering the summit headquarters. It sought to hold meetings with AU officials to explain Israel’s position on the war in Gaza.
Although the official agenda of the 37th summit did not mention conflicts in Africa, Al-Ghazouani considered them to be the biggest challenges facing the continent.
He noted armed conflicts and the spread of terrorist groups, and the threat they pose to countries, their stability and security, saying these issues should be among the main priorities of the African Union.
He therefore called for the establishment of “collective continental security” by developing the African structure for security and peace, with its multiple support mechanisms, such as the continental early warning system and the African standby force, and improving the level of coordination and cooperation, within and between the regional economic communities.
Criticism
Several diplomatic circles criticized the summit, saying its agenda overlooked the conflicts taking place in Africa, such as the war in Sudan and the tension in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed underlined the importance of securing peace and stability on the continent, which he said is the basis for economic and social development.
He added that his country believes that regional and continental integration is the best way to ensure peaceful coexistence between neighbors to achieve common goals.
Sudan, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Gabon, and Niger were absent from the summit due to military coups taking place there.
