Israeli envoy expelled from African Union summit

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AFP):

Israel accused arch-foe Iran of orchestrating the expulsion of a top diplomat from the African Union summit on Saturday, with the help of Algeria and South Africa.

The incident occurred on the first day of the summit, where leaders are discussing a slew of challenges facing the continent, including a record drought in the Horn of Africa and deadly violence in the Sahel region and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A video circulating on social media shows guards escorting Israel’s deputy director general for Africa, Sharon Bar-li, out of the AU assembly, which opened Saturday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman described the incident as “severe”, noting Bar-li was “an accredited observer with an entry tag”.

“It is saddening to see the African Union taken hostage by a small number of extremist states like Algeria and South Africa, which are driven by hatred and controlled by Iran,” he added.

The incident follows a long-running spat over Israel’s accreditation to the 55-member bloc.

The 2021 decision by African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat triggered a rare dispute within a body that values consensus, with powerful member states, notably South Africa, loudly protesting the move.

Last year’s AU summit suspended a debate on whether to withdraw the accreditation and established a committee to address the issue, but the bloc has not said whether it would be discussed this year.

An AU official told AFP the individual who was “asked to leave” was not invited to attend the meeting, with a non-transferable invitation only issued to Israel’s ambassador to the African Union, Aleli Admasu.

“It is regrettable that the individual in question would abuse such a courtesy,” the official said.

Asked about Israel’s accusations, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman Vincent Magwenya told AFP: “They must substantiate their claim.”