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Israeli Envoy Ejected from AU Meeting on Rwandan Genocide

Young Rwandans hug as they are waiting to start walking at the "Walk to Remember" for the commemorations of the 31th Anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in Kigali on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
Young Rwandans hug as they are waiting to start walking at the "Walk to Remember" for the commemorations of the 31th Anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in Kigali on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Envoy Ejected from AU Meeting on Rwandan Genocide

Young Rwandans hug as they are waiting to start walking at the "Walk to Remember" for the commemorations of the 31th Anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in Kigali on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
Young Rwandans hug as they are waiting to start walking at the "Walk to Remember" for the commemorations of the 31th Anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in Kigali on April 7, 2025. (AFP)

Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia was ejected from a conference at African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa commemorating the 31st anniversary of Rwanda's genocide against the Tutsi, two diplomats told AFP on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear why Ambassador Avraham Neguise was asked to leave the event on Monday, held to mark the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda, which left at least 800,000 people dead in 1994.

Neguise participated in the first part of the event, a solidarity march inside AU headquarters, an Arab diplomat said.

"After that, the AU commission chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, refused to start the event inside the hall in the presence of the Israeli ambassador and asked him to get out," the diplomat said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"The Israeli ambassador left."

Another diplomatic source said the ambassador had been "sitting in a very visible seat, close to the Americans, and everything was delayed until he was asked to leave".

The source said it was unclear whether the move was a protest by AU member states over Israel's war in Gaza.

The Times of Israel quoted the Israeli foreign ministry as saying: "It is outrageous that at an event commemorating the victims of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, to which the Israeli ambassador in Addis Ababa was invited, (Youssouf) chose to introduce anti-Israel political elements."

Youssouf's spokesperson did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.

It is not the first time Israel's presence has stirred criticism within the pan-African organization.

In 2022, the AU failed to conclude discussions on the contested accreditation of Israel as an observer country.

Algeria and South Africa, two financial heavyweights of the organization, particularly argued against the move.

Both countries have rifts with Israel: Algeria has no diplomatic ties with Israel, in protest over its treatment of the Palestinians, while South Africa has brought a case before the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

In 2023, an Israeli diplomat was also expelled from the AU assembly.

Youssouf, a Djiboutian national, took office as AU commission chairperson in February after serving nearly 20 years as foreign minister of the small Horn of Africa country.

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Vehicle Smashes Through Illinois Building, Killing 4 Young People and Injuring Others

Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
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Vehicle Smashes Through Illinois Building, Killing 4 Young People and Injuring Others

Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)

A car smashed through a building Monday afternoon, killing four young people and injuring several others during an after-school program in a small city outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said.

Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle ramming through the building, fatally hitting four people before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said.

Those killed were between the ages of 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon identified the victims as “female students,” saying their identities will be released after family members are notified. Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, reported The Associated Press.

It wasn’t immediately known what led up to the crash or whether it was intentional.

Monday's crash is the latest instance of people driving vehicles into groups of people across the globe. Only two days earlier, a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing 11.

The Illinois driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said. Police haven't said if the driver was arrested or taken into custody.

“I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they’re experiencing – something that no parent should ever have to endure.”

He said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support.

The struck building and facilities house Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website.

As evening fell, police cars with lights flashing still blocked streets leading to the building. On its Facebook account, the Chatham Police Department asked for prayers.

“A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,” the message ended.

By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words “Chatham Strong.”