Palestine appreciates the African Union's support for its rights

 

The final declaration of the 36th session of the African Union Summit, held in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, was welcomed on Monday by the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. In particular, the paragraph addressing the Palestinian question was appreciated.

The ministry expressed gratitude to the AU and the African nations for supporting Palestine and rejecting Israel's request for observer status inside the organization.

In its concluding remarks, the AU reaffirmed the full support of African nations for the Palestinian people, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, in their rightful resistance to Israeli occupation in order to reclaim their unalienable rights, including their right to self-determination, the right of refugees to return, and the establishment of their independent and sovereign state on the boundaries of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In order to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, the African leaders reiterated their calls to start a credible political process to put an end to Israeli occupation and abolish its apartheid regime, to support the State of Palestine's efforts to gain full membership in the UN, and to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.