Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 29 September 2016: The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, sends her deepest condolences to the Government and people of Israel following the untimely passing of former Prime Minister and President, H.E. Shimon Peres. He passed away on 28 September at the age of 93 after suffering a stroke two weeks earlier.

 H.E. Shimon Peres was the ninth President of Israel, serving from 2007 to 2014. He served twice as the Prime Minister of Israel and twice as Interim Prime Minister, and he was a member of twelve cabinets in a political career spanning nearly 70 years.

 H.E. Shimon Peres will be greatly remembered for being a stalwart of promoting peace. He had negotiations with Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization, which led to the Oslo Accords. His peace efforts were internationally recognized with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, which he jointly won, together with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, “for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East".

 His family, country and the whole world have lost a man of great stature.

 May his soul rest in peace.

  For further information contact

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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