Kiir welcomes Israeli embassy amid AU backlash
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has received an ambassadorial accreditation letter from the State of Israel and two other countries on Wednesday.
Israeli Ambassador, Gershon Keder, presented the accreditation letter to the President at the statehouse in the capital Juba in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Presidential Affairs Dr Barnaba Maria Benjamin.
In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the Office of the President, Mayiik Ayii Deng, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation assured the newly accredited ambassadors of maximum cooperation on issues of bilateral relations.
Backlash from the African Union
The admission of Israel came after a heated debate among the African Union member states on the accreditation of Israel to the continental body.
During the 35th session of the African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa this month, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh urged African leaders to withdraw the accreditation to the continental bloc.
He argued that Israel should “never be rewarded for its violation and for the apartheid regime it does impose on the Palestinian people”.
As the debate intensified, the AU’s newly elected Chairman Macky Sall, told the media that member states agreed to postpone the vote until the next summit in 2023.
“This issue can divide us, Africa cannot be divided,” he told reporters, saying such a development would result in a fragile institution that may not effectively tackle major issues,” Sall said.
The AU Chairperson added that a committee has been set up with the goal of consulting with member states and building a consensus on the matter.
“It will be composed of eight heads of state and governments, and will present its recommendations at the next summit,” Sall said.
The contentious diplomatic development was set in motion in July last year when Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the AU Commission, accepted unilaterally Israel’s accreditation to the bloc, a decision he defended amid protests by a number of member states.
“By granting the observer status to Israel, I acted in full compliance with my prerogatives and powers,” he said as he briefed reporters with Sall. “[But] I respect the decision of the summit.”
South Africa and Algeria blamed
In response to the AU, Israel claimed that the bloc “rejected attempts by Algeria and South Africa to revoke the State of Israel’s acceptance as an observer in the organisation”.
The Israeli foreign ministry argued in a statement its admission will facilitate increased cooperation between Israel and African countries.
“Israel attaches great importance in expanding the dialogue and cooperation with the African Union in line with changes in the Middle East, and views it as an important expression of our shared activities for the continent’s next generation,” it added.
