<div dir="ltr">
<div id="gmail-toolbar" class="gmail-toolbar-container">
</div><div class="gmail-container" dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element">
<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210723-the-african-union-is-self-destructing-by-letting-israel-have-observer-status/">middleeastmonitor.com</a>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">The African Union is self-destructing by letting Israel have observer status</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Dr Mustafa Mheta-<span>July 23, 2021<br></span></div></div><div class="gmail-content"><div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div id="gmail-post-content"> <p>The
Israeli Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that it has regained its
observer status at the African Union. Until 2002, the colonial state was
an observer member of the Organisation of African Unity, until the
latter was dissolved and replaced by the African Union.</p> <p>Who has
decided to readmit Israel to the AU as an observer state? We know those
responsible very well, because ever since they came to power in the
continental body they have made some very unpopular decisions of no
benefit to Africa and its people. Instead, they have sold us all to the
highest bidder.</p> <p>One day they will be exposed as traitors because
Africa and its states have been born out of the struggles against
slavery and colonialism; we don't need to associate ourselves with
colonial states such as the Zionist entity. In days gone by our kings
and chiefs sold us for a teaspoon of sugar and a shiny mirror. Today our
leaders are selling us again to the descendants of the same
imperialists wearing democratic cloaks to hide their colonialist
intentions.</p> <p>Is there any difference between these modern African
leaders and those who sold us into colonial slavery? Quite simply, none
at all. They are the people who allow imperialists and Zionists to have
access to our continent's natural resources in exchange for spyware
technology and weapons to enable their continuing grip on power.</p> <p>When
former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi spearheaded the formation of the
African Union in 2002, he made sure that Zionist Israel was sidelined.
Little did he know that his African brothers would go on to betray him
and his anti-colonialist legacy.</p> <p>Israel is a racist, <a href="https://www.btselem.org/publications/fulltext/202101_this_is_apartheid" target="_blank">apartheid state</a>,
so why should it have observer status at the AU? Before any such
readmission was even considered, the union should have demanded that the
Zionist state complies with the many UN resolutions hanging over it. It
was a perfect opportunity to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from
all Arab land that it occupies — Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian alike —
and facilitate the independence of the State of Palestine.</p> <div id="gmail-attachment_385573" class="gmail-wp-caption"><p><img src="https://i2.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/African-Union20200209_2_40757632_51982464.jpg?fit=933%2C622&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1" alt="A view from opening session of the 33rd African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 9 February 2020 [Mınasse Wondımu Haılu/Anadolu Agency]" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="435" height="290"></p><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">A
view from opening session of the 33rd African Union Heads of State
Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 9 February 2020 [Mınasse Wondımu
Haılu/Anadolu Agency]</p></div><p>The AU needs to wake up to what Israel is capable of doing. Just this week, Britain's <em>Guardian</em> newspaper has reported that an Israeli company has developed and sold <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210722-israeli-spyware-is-a-threat-to-all-freedoms-everywhere/">Pegasus spyware</a>
to a number of governments, including some in Africa, and that at least
fourteen world leaders (among many activists, journalists and human
rights campaigners), including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,
have been <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210721-french-presidents-phone-number-amongst-list-of-pegasus-targets/">targeted by the technology</a>.</p> <p>This
is just one example of what befriending Israel means. One of the
African leaders said to be implicated in such use of the Pegasus
technology is Paul Kagame of Rwanda. He is a well-known friend of Israel
and his relations with many of his neighbours in Africa are strained.
Such relations are going to be tested even further after the Pegasus
leak.</p> <p>Kagame is known for pursuing his political opponents
wherever they might be, and assassinating them. His relationship with
the South African government is tense for that very reason. He also has
problems with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who accuses him of
espionage using the very same Pegasus spyware. The government of Burundi
is also complaining about Kagame for doing the same thing.</p> <p><strong>READ: <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210524-stop-comparing-israel-to-apartheid-south-africa-it-is-worse/">Stop comparing Israel to Apartheid South Africa; it is worse</a> </strong></p> <p>Rwanda
recently deployed its troops to northern Mozambique and a fierce war of
words has since erupted within the ruling FRELIMO party in Maputo.
Given the Pegasus situation, how can the Southern African Development
Community, of which Mozambique is part, trust the Rwandan military
working alongside its forces? This arrangement could go very wrong. It
is impossible to fight alongside those who are spying on you.</p> <p>It's
a fact that wherever Israel goes and is welcomed, problems of this
nature tend to arise. Countries are destabilised and turn on each other.
It's the old colonial tactic of divide and rule, playing one side off
against another while pretending to be friends of both.</p> <p>The
Israel observer status move is the second serious blunder made by the AU
recently. The first was to allow Morocco to return to the fold before
withdrawing its forces from occupied Western Sahara.</p> <p>With the
Zionist entity involved in the AU, we can expect the continent to be
destabilised even further. Africa simply cannot afford or allow that to
happen. The AU must, as a matter of urgency, rescind the decision about
Israel's status unless and until it complies with all UN resolutions
concerning its withdrawal from all occupied territories and facilitate
Palestinian independence. If the colonial-occupation state refuses to do
so, then formal relations between Tel Aviv and the African Union should
be off the agenda.</p> <p>The views expressed in this article belong to
the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of
Middle East Monitor.</p>
</div></div></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>