Speech by the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Attaf, during his participation in a ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union

Excellency Chair of the Peace and Security Council,

Excellency Chair of the African Union's Commission,

Honorable ministers,

Distinguished participants,

Ladies and gentlemen,

My first words go to you, Madame Chair, to warmly congratulate you on assuming the presidency of our council for this month and to thank you most sincerely for convening this ministerial meeting.

And by the same token, I would like to congratulate you on the beginning of your country's mandate within the UN Security Council and to wish you every success in fulfilling this very important responsibility.

I wish also to commend his Excellency, the chairperson of the African Union Commission for his insightful briefing as well as the foreign ministers of Somalia and Djibouti for their enlightening remarks.

Let me start by reiterating Algeria's strong condemnation of the recent unilateral recognition of the so-called state of Somali land by the Israeli occupation authorities.

In the same spirit, I would like to reaffirm Algeria's unwavering solidarity with the Federal Republic of Somalia in all its efforts aimed at preserving its sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity.

In this regard, we should all be mindful of the fact that after having spread instability, tragedy, and chaos in the Middle East through an unending series of military aggressions in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Yemen, and in Iran, the Israeli occupying power is now seeking to create a new source of tension and conflict in the Horn of Africa.

And I sincerely believe that we can safely bet without a shade of hesitation, reservation or doubt that nothing good will come out of the Israeli move.

Neither for Somali land itself, nor for Somalia and the whole region.

The matter before us today is indeed of profound concern not only for the Federal Republic of Somalia but also for the Horn of Africa, for the African continent as a whole as well as for the international community at large.

 It is certainly a matter of national concern for Somalia as the Israeli unilateral action threatens to undermine its relentless and resilient efforts geared towards fostering national cohesion, promoting inclusive governance and restoring peace and security nationwide.

It is also a matter of regional concern as the Israeli unilateral action carries a real risk of adding more instability to a region that has long suffered from endured fragilities and protracted crisis.

It is moreover a matter of continental concern as the Israeli unilateral action constitutes a serious breach of one of the fundamental principles of the African normative framework.

The principle of intangibility of borders established at the independence of our countries.

Principle that has spared our continent.

The upheavalss of numerous conflicts and shielded it against territorial disputes and cessationist movements.

It is finally a matter of international concern as the Israeli unilateral action represents blatant violation of the core principles upon which the contemporary international order is founded and which are enshrined in the United Nations charter.

For all these reasons, for all these reasons, Algeria believes that today's meeting must go beyond the simple expression of condemnation of the Israeli unilateral action and declaration of solidarity with the sisterly Republic of Somalia.

What is required from us at this stage is renewed collective commitment to African unity.

African unity in the face of all attempts to dist destabilize African countries by undermining their sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity.

African unity in the defense of the normative collective framework that binds us together, including the sacred principle of intangibility of borders inherited at the independence of our countries.

And last but not least, African unity in safeguarding a ruled based international order in which our countries can enjoy their rights and fulfill their duties on an equal footing with all other UN member states.

It is only through unity that African countries can truly preserve their interests in a world that is increasingly shaped by hegemony, domination, total disregard for international law, and full disrespect for the United Nations Charter.

I thank you.