Africa Union chief condemns Minneapolis 'murder'

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, has condemned the killing of a unarmed black man in the US city of Minneapolis, calling it "murder".

George Floyd, 46, died in police custody on Monday. A white police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck, despite him saying that he could not breathe.

His death has led to a series of demonstrations across the country, including in Minneapolis where there is a large Somali community.

Mr Mahamat said the commission rejected the "continuing discriminatory practices against black citizens of the United States of America".

He urged the US government to ensure discrimination based on ethnicity or religion came to an end.

On behalf of the entire @_AfricanUnion family, I condemn in the strongest terms the murder of #GeorgeFloyd at the hands of law enforcement officers in the United States of America. See my full statement here: https://t.co/LslbVFrWHN

— Moussa Faki Mahamat (@AUC_MoussaFaki) May 29, 2020