The African Union has expressed ''grave concern'' following US military strikes on Venezuela and the subsequent capture of President Nicolás Maduro by the Trump administration.
''The African Union reaffirms its steadfast commitment to the fundamental principles of international law, including respect for the sovereignty of States, their territorial integrity, and the right of peoples to self-determination, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,'' the Pan-African body said in a statement on Saturday.
A plane carrying President Maduro has landed in New York after a late-night US operation in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken off the aircraft upon arrival in New York, where they have been charged with drug and terror-related offences, which they have long denied.
Footage aired by several US outlets showed Maduro surrounded by law enforcement officers as he was escorted off the plane at Stewart Air National Guard Base.
‘Prevent any escalation’
The US attacks on the oil-rich country have sparked global outrage and cast doubts on the current global order.
The African Union said it ''underscores the importance of dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for constitutional and institutional frameworks, in a spirit of good neighbourliness, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence among nations.''
The African Union emphasises that the complex internal challenges facing Venezuela can only be sustainably addressed through ''inclusive political dialogue among Venezuelans themselves.''
It expresses solidarity with the Venezuelan people and urges ''all parties concerned to exercise restraint, responsibility, and respect for international law to prevent any escalation and to preserve regional peace and stability.''
Similarly, South Africa on Saturday called on the UN Security Council to urgently convene and address the US military strikes on Venezuela, and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
‘Invasion of sovereign nations’
‘‘Unlawful, unilateral force of this nature undermines the stability of the international order and the principle of equality among nations,’’ South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday.
Pretoria further said it notes with grave concern the recent developments in Venezuela and views US actions as a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which mandates all member states to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
It added that the charter does not authorize external military intervention in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of a sovereign nation.
‘‘History has repeatedly demonstrated that military invasions against sovereign states yield only instability and deepening crisis,’’ the statement said.
