African Union rejects coups on the continent | News

The heads of state and government of the African Union (AU) unequivocally rejected the wave of coups that the continent has suffered in the last eighteen months, while a committee was formed to decide whether Israel is suspended as an observer of the bloc, at the request of Palestine.

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The AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, assured that "all African leaders in the Assembly (supreme body of the AU) have unequivocally condemned the wave of unconstitutional changes of government."

At a press conference in the framework of the XXXV Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the AU, which is being held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and ends this Sunday, Adeoye asserted that the continental bloc "will not tolerate coups d'état military in any way.

On the other hand, after a great diplomatic campaign by Algeria, it manages to get the AU meeting to unanimously adopt the suspension of granting Israel observer status.

"The African Union summit held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, decided to suspend this decision and form a committee of seven heads of state to study the matter," media outlets quoted a source from the Algerian Foreign Ministry.

The committee is meant to review the state of Israel and present its conclusion to the AU Executive Council next year.

Last July, the chairman of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, agreed to grant the Israeli occupation entity observer status in the 55-member body, which was rejected by many African countries, led by Algeria.

Under the theme "Building Resilience in Nutrition in Africa: Accelerating Human Capital, Social and Economic Development", the AU Summit discussed a number of issues such as economic development in the region and the Covid-19 pandemic. 19, among others.

Senegalese President Macky Sall was announced as the new AU president during the summit at a time when the continent is being plagued by a succession of coups, seen as a huge threat to regional instability.

In his inaugural speech, Sall recalled that the challenges facing the African Union are "many and urgent, whether in terms of peace and security, the fight against terrorism, the protection of the environment, the health or economic and social development".

"I do not forget the increase in coups d'état that constitute a major attack on democracy and institutional stability on the continent," added Sall.