Leaders of the African Union, meeting at a two-day summit in Addis Ababa, have adopted a resolution describing slavery, deportation and colonialism as genocide and crimes against the African people.

The resolution was announced at the summit by AU Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who also called for an end to what he described as the extermination of the Palestinian people.

“The conference recognises colonisation as a crime against humanity. That’s very important. And the conference expresses its solidarity with Palestine and the Palestinian people,” Youssouf said.

Member states also agreed to designate November 30 as the “African Day of Tribute to African Martyrs and Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonization, and Apartheid.”

The leaders said they would continue to review the issue and work collectively toward securing international recognition of the resolution.