The 36th African Union Summit urges member states to double the spirit of Pan-Africanism, Solidarity and Brotherhood by accelerating the operationalisation of the AfCFTA. Photo: African Union
Israeli diplomat, Sharon Bar-li, was expelled from the African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia. The African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomed the move.
Israel’s foreign ministry deputy director general for Africa, Sharon Bar-li, was escorted out of the AU assembly on Saturday.
Israel accused Iran of orchestrating the move, with the help of Algeria and South Africa.
However, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, was at the summit and demanded that Israel “substantiate their claim.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the ANC – who compares Israel to an “apartheid state” – supported the AU for Bar-li’s ousting.
The party said the removal was aimed at “thwarting an attempt to undermine the current sitting AU Summit from considering a report that is supposed to guide discussions on whether Israel must be granted an observer status.”
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Meanwhile, the EFF released a statement on Sunday welcoming the African Union’s decision to expel the apartheid Israeli government delegation from the AU summit.
The EFF called for the AU to revoke the “obnoxious accreditation” of the apartheid Israeli government, and called on Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the African Union Commission, to be reigned on for unilaterally accepting Israel’s Moysa Fa’s accreditation, triggering a dispute within the African community.
Moreover, the red berets said all peace-loving Africans should “give no audience to this conscience delinquent who has embarrassed Africa”.
The EFF also said that it will seek and sponsor a motion in the Pan-African Parliament in furtherance of its mission “to get the AU to dismiss this apartheid apologist”.
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