Addis Ababa - The Chairman of African Union Comission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Saturday 14 February 2026 stated that the “extermination” of the Palestinian people must end and urged Israel to lift blockade of humanitarian goods into Palestinian territory.
His statement was delivered in front of 55 African leaders, who gathered In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for 39th African Union Summit on Saturday.
“In the Middle East, Palestine and the suffering of its people also challenge our consciences. The extermination of this people must stop. International law and international humanitarian law are the basis of the international community,” Youssouf said.
Youssouf also touched on the multiple conflicts raging in Africa, calling for the “silencing of the guns” across the continent.
“From Sudan to the Sahel, to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Somalia and elsewhere, our people continue to pay the heavy price of instability,” Youssouf expressed his concern about condition in many countries in the continent .
The annual meeting is expected to focus on ruinous wars and security in the region as well as governance challenges around the world, threats to democracy and climate change, including water sanitation and water‑linked climate shocks.
Israel has killed at least 72,045 people of Gaza, Palestine and wounded 171,686 others since October 2023, and continues despite a “ceasefire”, following a Hamas group attack into a crowd of a music concert in Israel's territory, killing 1,195 Israelis and took into hostage 251 others in 7 October 2023.
