According to an Algerian source, the African Union summit has canceled a decision to grant Israel observer status in the pan-African organization.
Algeria is taking part in the two-day African Union summit, which began Saturday in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. “The summit resolved to abolish the decision to award Israel an observer status at the AU,” the source in the Algerian delegation was reported as saying through a private channel.
“The judgment crowned Algerian and other countries’ efforts” to get the decision reversed, he added. According to the source, a committee comprised of officials from Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Nigeria has been formed to submit recommendations to the upcoming AU meeting on the subject.
There was no confirmation of the Algerian source’s assertions at the time of publication.
Israel reported in July that its ambassador to Ethiopia, Admasu Al-Ali, had submitted his credentials as an AU observer member, which were accepted unilaterally by the Chair of the AU, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
Several member states, most notably Algeria and South Africa, objected to Mahamat’s decision, claiming they were not consulted.
