Reckless decision to open “AMU permanent representation to African Union”: Algeria expresses deep astonishment, expects clarification on flagrant, unacceptable violation of protocol, legal rules
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- Algeria has expressed its deep astonishment at the flippant and reckless decision of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamat Faki, to receive the so-called “credentials” from a Moroccan diplomat falsely presenting herself as the “Permanent Representative” of the Arab Maghreb Union to the African Union.
“This irresponsible behavior is all the more inadmissible and comes after urgent representations by the Algerian authorities to the Commission of the African Union, in order to consider without object this alleged appointment which, in accordance with the texts governing the functioning of the Union of the Arab Maghreb, does not fall under the prerogatives of the Secretary General of the AMU, whose final mandate ended definitively on August 1, 2022, without the possibility of extension, but who by this umpteenth imposture serves the agenda drawn up by his country of residence”, read the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In this regard, Algeria would like to clarify that it was never consulted about this appointment, which was made outside the rules provided for by the Treaty establishing the AMU of February 1989, which require, in the case, the unanimous vote of the Member States at the level of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the UMA, the only body empowered to decide both on this appointment and the establishment of cooperation relations with other regional and international groupings, as provided in particular by article 6 of the Treaty establishing the UMA, articles 5 and 7 of the General Statute setting out the attributions of the Secretary General of the UMA as well as the resolution of the Council of the Presidency dated February 23, 1990.
Algeria also refutes, according to the same source, the qualifier “Acting” used by the Commission of the African Union as a legal trick to deal with the former Secretary General of the UMA, while wishing to emphasize that the Treaty of February 1989 establishing the AMU does not provide for this position.
In this vein, the President of the African Union Commission is yielding to an unhealthy manipulation operation that will not, in any case, serve the interests of the Arab Maghreb Union and the African Union, to which Algeria reiterates its unfailing attachment.
Algeria expects the AU Commission to clarify its final position on this flagrant and unacceptable violation of protocol and legal rules, without prejudice to possible measures depending on the evolution of this case.
