African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Saturday called for an end to what he described as the “extermination” of Palestinians, as he opened the bloc’s 39th summit.
Addressing leaders gathered for the two-day meeting, Youssouf said the suffering in Palestine “challenges our consciences”.
“The extermination of this people must stop,” he told delegates, using unusually strong language for a multilateral forum.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas carried out a deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023.
According to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP, 1,221 people were killed in Israel, most of them civilians.
Since then, at least 71,667 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s military campaign, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The Gaza Strip, a narrow coastal enclave bordered by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, remains under a strict Israeli siege.
Youssouf, who was elected to head the commission a year ago, also highlighted conflicts across Africa.
“From Sudan to the Sahel, to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in Somalia and elsewhere, our people pay a heavy price,” he said.
He warned that continued instability is destroying livelihoods and weakening prospects for peace in vulnerable regions.
Leaders from the African Union’s 55 member states are attending the summit in Addis Ababa.
This year’s theme centres on water and sanitation, seen as vital to development and public health.
As discussions continue, Youssouf’s remarks signalled Africa’s increasingly assertive stance on global crises.
