FM Badr Abdelatty giving his speech during the AU ordinary session. Photo by Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Abdelatty said this during his speech on Wednesday at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU).
"We have witnessed, in Egypt's immediate vicinity, the brutal Israeli aggression against both Palestine and Lebanon, casting a grim shadow over peace and security in the region," he stated.
He also reiterated Egypt’s firm belief that “there can be no sustainable peace without development.”
Moreover, he emphasized the necessity of adopting comprehensive approaches to address peace and security challenges, considering the root causes of conflicts.
FM Abdelatty highlighted Egypt’s efforts under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to integrate post-war reconstruction and development initiatives.
He also underscored President El-Sisi’s chairmanship of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee as a reflection of Egypt’s commitment to linking peace, security, and development.
He added that these efforts underline the pivotal role of reconstruction in ensuring sustainable peace and affirmed Egypt's determination to continue these endeavours.
According to Al Arabiya TV, Egypt's reconstruction plan for Gaza prioritizes early recovery efforts. It focuses on rebuilding essential infrastructure, providing urgent humanitarian aid, and revitalizing the local economy to restore basic living conditions ahead of a comprehensive reconstruction phase.
Egypt is expected to complete its comprehensive reconstruction plan by next week and aims to launch the first phase following the Arab Emergency Summit, Al Arabiya added.
On Wednesday, President El-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II reiterated in a phone call the immediate need to start rebuilding Gaza, emphasizing that the Palestinian people "must not be displaced" from their historical land.
African issues
Additionally, Abdelatty touched on the persisting humanitarian suffering of the Sudanese people due to the ongoing war.
This war has caused millions of Sudanese to be internally displaced and forced many others to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, he highlighted.
In 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Egypt had become the largest host country for Sudanese refugees fleeing the war in Sudan.
During its chairmanship of the African Peace and Security Council in October 2024, Egypt organized a solidarity field visit to Port Sudan to assess the situation and determine the most urgent needs.
Egypt's top diplomat also addressed the escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea and developments in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other crises.
Furthermore, he reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to dialogue, preserving state institutions, and respecting the AU's founding principles, particularly states' sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also commended the success of the Budgetary, Financial, and Administrative Matters Sub-Committee under Egypt’s chairmanship, which played a key role in securing funding to support peace efforts across the continent.
FM Abdelatty emphasized the significance of this year’s meeting amid pressing challenges facing the continent, calling for collective efforts to drive development and safeguard Africa’s interests on the global stage.
On this note, Egypt urged a pragmatic proposal respecting the union's principles to reinstate suspended members and prevent a political vacuum exploitable by external actors.
Concluding his speech, Abdelatty praised the outgoing council presidency and affirmed Egypt's support for the upcoming Angolan presidency and its commitment to advancing collective African efforts.
Short link: