The 22nd of July 2021 will go down in the history of the African Union as a day of shame.

On that day, the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, shamelessly received the credentials of the Ambassador of Israel in Ethiopia, to set yet another record of violation of the OAU-AU principles of anti-colonialism and anti-apartheid after the admission by the AU in 2017 of another expansionist regime, Morocco.

The current Chairperson unilaterally adopted this shameful step, accrediting a criminal state without consulting member states of the AU and despite the existence of a clear and sound legal opinion opposing such act.

Immediately after this shameful act of surrender to oppressors and occupiers, Israel and pro-Israel media around the world started an orchestrated campaign stating that Israel had been granted the status of “Observer” in the AU- a status that legally doesn’t exist at all in the structures of the Continental organisation.

Israel, like any non-African country, can theoretically request Diplomatic Accreditation to the AU or to any other international or regional organisation.

Israel in this case has just succeeded, finally, to become an accredited country to the AU exactly like US, Russia, China, Norway, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and many other non-African states.

Yet, the case is serious, because Israel, unlike all countries on the planet, maybe along with Morocco, is a rogue state and has always shown an open disrespect of international law.

Both the State of Israel and Morocco are illegally occupying the territories of others, killing innocent Palestinians and Saharawis, violating international law, and violating human rights, in total impunity.

These two states had also been strong supporters of Apartheid and maintained tight relationships with the segregationist Government of South Africa when Africans in SADC region and elsewhere were struggling for freedom from colonialism.

The case is serious because, after accepting the membership of Morocco back in 2017 despite a clear-cut legal opinion issued by AU Legal Office against this membership, the AU is now accepting to accredit yet another rogue state and received its Ambassador’s letter of credence in total violation of another legal opinion provided by the AU legal office in 2013 and 2015 to Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, then Chairperson of the AU Commission.

But the difference is that Dlamini Zuma respected her legal service’s recommendations and the political will of some AU member states, and rejected the request by Israel to present its Ambassador’s credentials.

Of course, Dlamini Zuma made such decision not only because of the legal opinion but also out of respect for the organisation’s principles and ideals, because the African Union cannot and should not show any sort of support to a country that violates the international law and perpetuates colonial and segregational projects like Israel.

Now, that the extreme majority of the generations that struggled for African freedom and liberation have been lost, it seems that the current generation is living in an era of total degradation of principles, values, and norms that governed and drove the founding fathers.

Worse still, Moussa Faki even dares to fake support to Palestinians in the same press release in which his organisation reported the shameful meeting. However, how can the AU maintain the old principled position on Palestine if it is now allowing the oppressor and aggressor in Tel Aviv to profit from recognition and impunity? The African Union cannot continue dealing with issues such as the decolonisation of Western Sahara or the occupation in Palestine with ambiguity. The principles and values of the OAU/AU are clear and noble and must be honoured.

Africa and Africans cannot put their fate in the hands of oppressing colonialists and have a duty of total support and solidarity towards Saharawis and Palestinians alike.

Unfortunately, it seems that the current Chairperson (and maybe he is not the only one in the current African leadership of the organisation but also in many African countries) is ready to give up all the values and founding principles of the continental organisation for profit and superficial gains. Sometimes, even for a fake feeling of security and protection of their undeserved power and rule.

But Africans have got the right to know what their leaders are doing on their behalf. African intellectuals, journalists, and civil society have a duty to inform the people that other peoples are being killed and oppressed in their name.

The current AU leadership of Moussa Faki and his closest assistants, in particular, marked their names in the history of the organisation as the ones who allowed colonialists and expansionist regimes to impose their will on the AU, which is supposed to be the biggest enemy of colonialism in the world.

This is why journalists must stop reporting superficial news about the AU and go deeper to explore the real stories and facts about the corruption and betrayal of AU values because African peoples deserve to know.

Source: Botswana Guardian