Umoja wa Afrika Watoa Msaada Thabiti kwa Palestina, Walaani Vitendo vya Israeli

Umoja wa Afrika na viongozi wake wanapongezwa kwa mafanikio ya mkutano wao, na matokeo yake yanakaribishwa kwa furaha.

Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na uhamiaji nchini Palestina inakiri kufurahishwa na maamuzi yaliyotolewa katika taarifa ya mwisho ya Mkutano wa Umoja wa Afrika wa 37, hususani yale yanayohusu hali ya Palestina. Taarifa hiyo ilitolewa tarehe 18 Februari 2024, mjini Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Nchi wanachama wa Afrika zimethibitisha msaada wao thabiti na kamili kwa watu wa Palestina chini ya uongozi wa Rais Mahmoud Abbas katika mapambano yao dhidi ya utawala wa Kizayuni wa Israeli. Msaada huu unalenga kurudisha haki zao za msingi kama vile haki ya kujitawala, kurudi kwa wakimbizi, na kuanzisha dola huru na ya kujitawala ya Palestina kulingana na mipaka ya mwaka 1967, na Jerusalem ya Mashariki kuwa mji mkuu wake.

Taarifa hiyo imehimiza umuhimu wa kumaliza utawala wa Kizayuni wa Israeli, ambao unakiuka sheria za kimataifa, na pia imeonyesha umuhimu wa jumuiya ya kimataifa kufuata misingi ya kibinadamu na haki. Viongozi wa Afrika wameitaka jumuiya ya kimataifa kuhakikisha ulinzi kwa watu wa Palestina kwa mujibu wa maazimio ya Baraza la Usalama. Aidha, wameilaani Israel kwa vitendo vyake vya uadui na ukatili dhidi ya watu wa Palestina, hasa huko Ukanda wa Gaza.

Viongozi wa Afrika pia wameelezea umuhimu wa kuanzisha mchakato wa kisiasa unaofaa ili kumaliza utawala wa Israeli na kuvunja mfumo wa ubaguzi wa rangi, na hivyo kufikia amani ya haki, kamili, na endelevu Mashariki ya Kati. Wametoa wito kwa Palestina kupewa uanachama kamili katika Umoja wa Mataifa na kuitaka Israel kuchukuliwa hatua kwa vitendo vyake vya ukiukaji wa haki za binadamu dhidi ya watu wa Palestina.

Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Uhamiaji inatoa shukrani kwa nchi za Afrika, viongozi wao, na Umoja wa Afrika kwa msaada wao kwa watu wa Palestina. Inaonyesha fahari na shukrani kwa uhusiano wa kihistoria kati ya watu wa Palestina na watu wa Afrika ambao wamekuwa pamoja katika kupigania haki na uhuru.

English

The African Union and its leaders are congratulated on the success of the summit, and the outcomes are warmly welcomed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the resolutions of the final communique of the 37th session of the African Union Summit, particularly those related to the situation in Palestine. This communique was issued on Sunday, February 18, 2024, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The African member states affirmed their steadfast, permanent, and full support for the Palestinian people under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas in their struggle against Israeli occupation. This support aims to reclaim their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, the return of refugees, and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The communique reiterated the necessity to end the Israeli occupation, which undermines the fundamental principles of international law, and stressed the importance of the international community's commitment to common principles of humanity and justice. It called for the protection of the Palestinian people based on Security Council resolutions. The African leaders condemned Israel's prolonged aggression and atrocities against the Palestinian state, particularly in Gaza, expressing deep concern over the humanitarian and health crisis there, the significant increase in civilian casualties, the destruction of infrastructure, forced displacement, and Israel's targeting of places of worship and hospitals. They emphasized the urgency of an immediate ceasefire, the opening of safe humanitarian corridors, and the dispatch of urgent humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the population in the Gaza Strip. The communique also condemned Israeli arrest policies, especially administrative detention, and called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, especially women, children, and the elderly.

In the same context, African leaders reiterated the importance of launching a credible political process to end the Israeli occupation and dismantle the apartheid system in Palestinian territories to achieve a just, comprehensive, and permanent peace in the Middle East. They affirmed their support for Palestine's renewed request for full membership in the United Nations and the necessity of holding Israel accountable for its occupation and racist crimes against the Palestinian people. The communique underscored the importance of implementing the rulings of the International Court of Justice.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to the African countries, their leaders, and the African Union in general, as well as to sisterly and friendly countries for their steadfast support of the Palestinian cause. It expresses pride and appreciation for the sincere historical relations between the Palestinian people and the peoples of the African continent, who have always stood by our issues and rights, foremost among them our right to self-determination, liberation, and the end of Israeli occupation, settlement, and apartheid.