The African Union has issued one of its strongest statements yet on the war in Gaza, declaring that solidarity with Palestinians is “a moral imperative.”
The AU insisted that the continent will not retreat from its historic position on Palestinian self-determination.
Speaking in Addis Ababa during the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the AU Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said the union “stands firm in its principled support for the inalienable rights, dignity and quest for freedom of the Palestinian people.”
He was addressing diplomats, UN officials and civil society groups at the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Mahmoud warned that the “catastrophic” war in Gaza demands more than symbolic gestures.
“Solidarity is not symbolic; it is a moral imperative,” he said. “Silence and inaction cannot be our legacy.”
Participants gather at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People event at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on December 9, 2025. PHOTO/ AU
His remarks come amid growing frustration in African capitals over the humanitarian toll of the conflict and the failure of international actors to secure a lasting ceasefire.
The AU has long aligned itself with global calls for Palestinian statehood, citing parallels between Palestinian aspirations and Africa’s own anti-colonial history.
Mahmoud reaffirmed the AU’s long-held position, insisting that the Palestinian people are entitled to an independent and sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said this vision — Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security — remains the only viable path to a just and lasting settlement.
The AU, he added, will continue to press the international community to uphold this principle and move the stalled peace process back onto a credible track.
He welcomed the 2025 Sharm El-Sheikh Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, describing it as a critical — though fragile — step toward ending the violence.
He urged all parties and the wider international community to ensure “renewed negotiations, humanitarian access, accountability and full respect for international law.”
