Algeria spearheading efforts to revoke 'Israel' AU observer status

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Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra arrived Tuesday in Addis Ababa to participate in the 40th regular session of the Executive Council of the African Union, which brings together the foreign ministers of the AU member states.

The session will take place in the bloc's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, and it will see the top diplomats discussing a wide array of issues relating to joint cooperation between the member states of the African Union.

The parties will be working to confront all security and political challenges imposed by the status quo, not to mention the challenges brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had massive repercussions on the economic and health situation.

The member states will also discuss reports related to the activities of the executive council's organizations and sub-committees. Additionally, they will prepare for the February 5-6 summit for the heads of state of the African Union, which will be their 35th regular session.

In addition to his participation in the executive council's session, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra will be holding meetings with several African counterparts to coordinate on the issues listed on the AU's agenda.

Lamamra will also bring to the table Algeria's continued efforts to maintain the unity of the continental organization and distance it from attempts aiming to weaken it, the Algerian foreign ministry said Tuesday in a statement.

In a vein similar to that of the Algerian statement, media reports said the Algerian foreign minister would make efforts during the upcoming four days before the presidential and prime ministerial summit to have extensive contact with his African counterpart in a bid to pass Algeria's proposal to invalidate the African Union's decision to grant "Israel" observer status in the African bloc.

The African Union granted "Israel" observer status in July, and the Israeli ambassador in Addis Ababa presented his letter of accreditation as an observer to the African Union.

The decision to grant the Israeli occupation observer status was condemned by Algeria, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Libya, Mauritania, South Africa, Tunisia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, and the Arab League's African Union delegation.