Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty on Monday reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of Israel’s recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” region, as it blatantly violates the principles of international law, the United Nations (UN) Charter and the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), as well as it undermines the foundations of regional and international peace and security, particularly in the Horn of Africa region.
The top Egyptian diplomat called for holding an emergency session of the AU Peace and Security Council to address what he described as a dangerous development and to reaffirm Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity while rejecting unilateral Israeli measures that threaten regional and international peace and security.
Abdelatty made the remarks during his participation on Monday in a ministerial session of the AU Peace and Security Council that was held virtually to discuss developments in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Speaking at the session, the foreign minister said the current critical phase the region is experiencing imposes a collective responsibility to support political, security and development tracks aimed at ending the suffering of the Congolese people and consolidating sustainable peace.
He welcomed the signing by the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, of a final peace deal and a framework agreement on regional economic integration in Washington on 4 December, terming the move an important step towards de-escalation, easing tensions and building confidence between the two countries.
In this regard, the foreign minister emphasized the importance of moving ahead with the implementation of the two signed agreements.
Abdelatty also commended regional and international efforts that helped facilitate dialogue and persuade both sides to ink the two agreements, expressing hope that mediators would continue to play their pivotal role through sustained engagement with the parties to ensure the implementation of a comprehensive peace accord.
The foreign minister voiced Egypt’s preparedness to support any confidence-building arrangements, drawing on its accumulated experience in peacekeeping, particularly in light of Egypt’s longstanding and substantive participation in the United Nations mission for stabilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On that score, he underlined the significance of linking peace-building and the restoration of stability with development and ensuring its sustainability, within a comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses political, economic, military and development dimensions of the conflict.
He pointed to Egypt’s backing of this approach, given President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s leadership of the AU policy on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development ,in addition to Egypt’s hosting of the AU Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development.
The minister also underscored the need for de-escalation and an end to any on-the-ground escalation to create an environment for tackling security and humanitarian challenges in eastern Congo, paving the way for constructive dialogue and the restoration of stability.
Abdelatty called for encouraging the endeavors to halt hostilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis and the heavy burden it places on civilians in eastern Congo.
He concluded by stressing the importance of preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighting Egypt’s commitment to supporting development efforts in the Great Lakes region through bilateral cooperation programs in health, education, water resources and capacity-building, while welcoming the expansion of economic and investment collaboration, in a way that would serve aspirations of the region’s peoples and enhances prospects for peace and stability.
