In a unified diplomatic salvo fired from Addis Ababa, the African Union (AU) and China have issued a joint condemnation of the US military raid in Venezuela, calling for the protection of international law and national sovereignty.

The statement, released following the 9th China–African Union Strategic Dialogue, represents a significant geopolitical alignment. As the West celebrates the removal of Nicolás Maduro, the Global South is raising the red flag over the precedent it sets: that powerful nations can unilaterally decapitate the leadership of sovereign states.

The Addis Declaration

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not mince words. They warned that the "might makes right" approach undermines the UN Charter and creates a dangerous world order.

• Sovereignty Principle: "The territorial integrity of all countries must be respected," the statement read. This is a direct rebuke of the US operation, which bypassed the UN Security Council.
• Strategic Partnership: The dialogue highlights China’s role as the primary alternative partner for Africa. While the US offers military intervention, China is pitching stability and "people-to-people exchanges" (the theme of 2026).
• African Interests: For AU leaders, the silence on Venezuela would be suicidal. Many African nations have leaders who have overstayed their welcome; legitimizing external regime change is a nightmare scenario for the continent's incumbents.

A Bi-Polar World

The condemnation draws a line in the sand. The world is fracturing into two camps: those who support the US-led interventionist order, and those rallying behind the Sino-African vision of non-interference. Nairobi, a key US ally but also an AU member, finds itself in the awkward middle.