By Seleshi Tessema and Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA): Addressing the annual summit of the African Union (AU) leaders, the chairman of the bloc heavily criticized the U.S.’ so-called peace plan in Middle East.

“We all suffered from the unresolved Palestinian right to self-determination and dignity. The American-Israeli peace plan, the so-called ‘Deal of the Century’, had been prepared without any consultation with Palestinians. It is a violation of the charter of the African Union and United Nations,” Moussa Faki Mahamat said.

Mahamat’s remarks came during his opening speech at the 33rd Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

“We have to feel the heightened tension the peace deal invites to the Middle East and beyond. The African solidarity with the people of Palestine will never change,” he said.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shatty said the AU vision to silence the guns has an immediate relevance to the people of Palestine who has been suffering from the Israeli occupation.

“We are committed to silencing the guns of Israeli occupation,” he said.

“We are proud of Africa that stand by the Palestinian people in a principled manner to realize our aspirations of a statehood on the 1967 borders and Jerusalem being the capital,” he added.

“The Trump-Israeli peace plan has no international support,” Shatty stated.

Palestine has an observer status in the African Union, and Palestinian leaders address annual summits of African Union.

Also addressing the event, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed what he described as Africa’s unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine.

[Photo: Opening session of the 33rd African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 09, 2020. Photographer: Mınasse Wondımu Haılu/AA]