Israel gets observer status at African Union

Israel has been given observer status at the African Union, a statement from Israel’s Foreign ministry says.

“This is a day of celebration for Israeli-Africa relations,” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said.

“The diplomatic achievement is the result of efforts by the Foreign Ministry, the African Division and Israeli embassies on the continent. This is a corrective step to the anomaly that has prevailed for almost two decades and is an important part of strengthening Israel’s foreign relations fabric.”

This is the culmination of over 20 years of negotiations between the African Union and Israel. This July 22, the Israeli ambassador in Addis Ababa, Alaly Adamso, submitted the charter of Israel as an observer member to the African Union. For its part, the continental body endorsed the observer status for the Hebrew state.

Israel currently has diplomatic relations with 46 of the AU’s 55 members. Last year, it normalized relations with both Morocco and Sudan.

Israel was an observer member of the Organization of African Unity, which was disbanded in 2002 to make way for the AU.