Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 12-09-2017
The Israeli Foreign Ministry says an Israel-Africa summit scheduled next month in Togo has been postponed.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry said the decision had come at the request of Togo’s president, Faure Gnassingbe, after consultations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ministry says talks would continue “to guarantee the full success of the summit.”
The statement gave no reason for the decision. But Togo has been experiencing unrest in recent days, with thousands of protesters demanding presidential term limits amid anger over the 50-year rule of the Gnassingbe family.
Israeli and African leaders, business leaders and security experts are scheduled to participate in the summit.
Netanyahu has made outreach to Africa a key component of his foreign policy.
Meanwhile BDS South Africa in a statement welcomed the cancellation of the Africa-Israel Summit.
“This is welcomed as good news by human rights organisations and the global BDS movement which has called for the isolation of Israel over its human rights abuses and violations of international law.”
Last month it was reported that several countries, including South Africa, were planning to boycott the summit.
South African Ambassador Sean Benfeldt explained that South Africa will not take part because the summit was viewed as a step by Israel to normalize relations between Africa and an “occupation state.”
The summit was supposed to take place in the Togolese capital of Lome on October 23-27 with business leaders and security experts from Israel and 54 African countries.
– AP & Agencies
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