• African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat had granted Israel the status in full compliance with his powers.
• The embassy also affirmed its pride in the sincere historical relations between the Palestinian people and the peoples of the African continent.
The Embassy of Palestine in Nairobi has welcomed the decision of the African Union to reconsider granting Israel the Observer Status.
In a statement, the embassy said that the move was a victory for the Palestinian cause, the free will of the African people, and as another step on the path to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestine.
“The Embassy views the decision, issued on Sunday, February 6, 2022, to suspend granting Israel an observer status at the AU, as an explicit call for the international community to advocate for a two-state solution to the occupation of Palestine,” the statement reads.
On behalf of the State of Palestine, the embassy said that it extended its gratitude to the African countries and their leaders and the African Union in general, and the countries that stood by the Palestinian right.
“… the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the friendly Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Nigeria and the whole of the Southern African Development Community SADC countries for their pioneering role and the president in refusing to grant Israel an observer status at the African Union.”
The embassy also affirmed its pride in the sincere historical relations between the Palestinian people and the peoples of the African continent.
African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat had granted Israel the status after what he said was in direct line with his office's mandate as the Legal Representative of the union.
Faki said that the powers of the Chairperson to grant Observer Status to a non-African state are established by the Sirte Criteria of 2005.
“These criteria provide, in Part II, SECTION II.1: A non-African State or organisation wishing to be accredited to the AU should address its request to the Chairperson of the AU Commission” In paragraph 2 of the same section: “The Chairperson shall consider such requests on the basis of the principles and objectives of the Constitutive Act, relevant decisions of AU Organs and these criteria.
He said that by granting the Observer Status to the State of Israel, he acted in full compliance with his prerogatives and powers while respecting the procedure.