The Israeli foreign ministry has accused the African Union Commission chairman of introducing ‘anti-Israeli political elements’ to the event [GETTY]
The African Union (AU) expelled an Israeli ambassador from a conference on the Rwanda genocide on Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry said.
Avraham Neguise, Israel’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, was removed from the conference, organised by the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, after member states refused to participate alongside him.
The move was slammed by Israel, with its foreign ministry condemning the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Youssouf.
“It is outrageous that at an event commemorating the victims of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, to which the Israeli ambassador in Addis Ababa was invited, [Youssouf] chose to introduce anti-Israel political elements,” the ministry said.
It added it would be taking the “necessary diplomatic steps with the relevant parties to clarify the seriousness with which we view this incident”.
The expulsion was praised by Hamas, who said the stance “aligns with the Union’s values and principles, as well as its historic positions in support of the Palestinian cause and our people’s struggle against Zionist colonialism”.
The group also called for a “comprehensive boycott” of Israel and to “prevent it from exploiting their platforms to whitewash its crimes” against the Palestinian people.
Israel is accused at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of committing genocide against the Palestinian people, in a case brought forward by AU member state South Africa.
An Israeli diplomat was expelled from the 36th African Union summit of heads of state in Ethiopia in February 2023.
The conference, which takes place annually, marks the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, aiming to raise awareness of the value of life and humanity and renew a shared commitment to protecting human rights.
This comes as Israel renewed its bombardment on the Gaza Strip since 18 March, having killed almost 1,500 Palestinians, as well as imposing an aid blockade, preventing Gazans from having life-saving supplies.
Israel has been accused of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, having killed over 50,000 Palestinians since October 2023, excluding the 11,000 missing or trapped under the rubble presumed dead.
The International Court of Justice found a plausible risk of genocide being committed in the Gaza Strip by Israel, finding that Israel has committed human rights abuses and violated international law.
In its genocide case against Israel, South Africa warned that history should not be repeated, highlighting the international community’s failure to prevent the Rwanda genocide that killed some 800,000 people.
