The African Union Commission has denied seeking to blame Egypt for developments inside Ethiopia, after Cairo objected to an earlier AU statement calling for restraint between Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In a statement on Sunday, the commission said its Oct. 1 appeal was intended to prevent further regional escalation and was not aimed at assigning responsibility for Ethiopia’s internal crisis to Egypt or any other neighbouring country.
“Under no circumstances” was the statement intended to suggest that neighbouring states were responsible for developments inside Ethiopia, the commission said.
The clarification followed criticism from Cairo, where an official source on Saturday described the AU statement as an “incomprehensible attempt” to involve Egypt in what it said was an internal Ethiopian matter.
The AU had urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint, maintain communication channels and settle their differences through diplomacy.
The commission said the appeal came amid the expulsion of diplomats involving Addis Ababa, Cairo and Asmara and was aimed at preventing misunderstandings or tensions from developing into a wider regional confrontation.
It reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of AU member states, as well as the principle of non-interference in their internal affairs.
The commission said its statements were issued solely within its mandate to promote peace, security and stability across Africa and were not intended as commentary on domestic political or security developments in member countries.
It also stressed the importance of its relationship with Egypt, describing Cairo as a founding member of the African Union and an important partner in efforts to promote security, integration and development across the continent.
