Israeli diplomat removed from African Union summit in Ethiopia

An Israeli observer delegate was removed on Saturday from the African Union summit being held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

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

The Israeli foreign ministry said the incident was driven by "extreme states" Algeria and South Africa, which had taken the AU "hostage" and were "controlled by Iran".

Israel obtained AU observer status in 2021 after 20 years of diplomatic efforts, in a decision that has created a rift in the 55-member bloc. Israel had previously held the role in the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) but was frequently thwarted in its attempts to regain the position after the OAU was disbanded in 2002 and replaced by the AU.

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