{"id":30755,"date":"2026-04-04T09:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T07:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&#038;p=30755"},"modified":"2026-04-04T09:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T07:01:14","slug":"au-backs-china-pakistan-peace-plan-amid-escalating-middle-east-tensions","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/au-backs-china-pakistan-peace-plan-amid-escalating-middle-east-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"AU backs China-Pakistan peace plan amid escalating Middle East tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, says the continental body fully supports a five-point initiative proposed by China and Pakistan aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the broader Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>AU says the plan offers a timely and constructive contribution to global efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote a political and diplomatic solution. The initiative calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, adherence to international humanitarian law, and the safeguarding of key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Youssouf expressed deep concern over the continued escalation in the region, warning that the impact is being felt far beyond the Middle East, particularly on global energy supply chains, food systems and economic stability.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The conflict has intensified over the past month, with the United States and Israel launching sustained airstrikes on Iran, which has responded with drone and missile attacks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The AU has called for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue, stressing that all parties must act in line with international law and the United Nations Charter to safeguard global peace and security.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":21152,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-30755","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"AU fully supports a five-point initiative proposed by China and Pakistan","published_date":"2026-04-04 08:04:49","news_description":"AU fully supports a five-point initiative proposed by China and Pakistan","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30768,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30755\/revisions\/30768"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=30755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}