Israel has been granted observer status at the African Union (AU), a continent-wide regional body.
The announcement was made by the Israeli foreign ministry. It quoted the country’s foreign minister, Yair Lapid, as saying: ‘This is a day of celebration for Israeli-Africa relations. The diplomatic achievement is the result of efforts by the Foreign Ministry, the African Division and Israeli embassies on the continent. This is a corrective step to the anomaly that has prevailed for almost two decades and is an important part of strengthening Israel’s foreign relations fabric.’
The move for Israel to become an observer at the AU has been under discussion for some time, and was driven by former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The AU was formed in 2002, following the dissolution of its predecessor organisation, the Organisation for African Unity.