Arab Maghreb Union responds to Algeria’s statement on representation to AU

Last updated Apr 20, 2023

In response to Algeria’s announcement that Amina Selmane had been chosen to represent the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) at the African Union (AU) and that Moussa Faki Mahamat had received her upon receiving her credentials, the AMU General Secretariat released a statement.

In an erroneous statement that violated diplomatic protocol, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the appointment of Amina Selmane and the acceptance of her credentials by the African Union Chairman.

The AMU General Secretariat stressed that Selmane’s appointment “coincides with the extension of the mandate of the Secretary General, Taeb Baccouche, who has repeatedly requested the appointment of a successor, most recently on the occasion of the Arab Summit in Algeria, during which the parties concerned failed to invite him to respond to his request, despite his receipt of an official invitation from the Secretary General of the League of Arab States.”

The secretariat also expressed regret over “the contradictions of the Algerian parties, who have referred to the Secretary General as (former Secretary General), while senior Algerian state officials have continued to correspond with the Secretary General on his behalf and in his capacity, from August 2022 to today, with at least nine correspondences, the last of which was sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Algerian Republic.

According to the statement, Algeria has not raised any objections to the Secretary General of the AMU on any of his actions within the legal timetable, including the decision to open the AMU’s office to the AU as of March 7, 2023, which no nation has contested.

However, after obtaining Amina Selmane’s letters of accreditation, the AMU General Secretariat lamented Algeria’s unwarranted criticism of the AU Chairperson.

The statement from the General Secretariat noted that Mr. Faki Mahamat had applied Article 20 of the Agreement between the African Union and its eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs), which deals with each REC appointing a representative to the AU. “We also regret the unjustified attacks against the Chairman of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, with unworthy qualifiers,” it said.

On April 13, he formally received Ms. Selmane’s letters of accreditation, “who was sworn in by the Secretary-General of AMU in her capacity as Director of Economic Affairs within the AMU.”

The General Secretariat of AMU stated, “She has become a Maghrebian diplomat working with the Secretary General and the President of the AU, whom we support and for whom we have respect and consideration.”