African Union has condemned the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, at the hands of US police.

Mr Floyd, 46, was killed when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes, despite Mr Floyd crying out that he couldn’t breathe.The moment was caught on video by a bystander. 

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned George Floyd’s murder and urged the US authorities to stop the killings of unarmed African Americans.

“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates the African Union’s rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America,” the Union said in a statement

on Friday. 

He called on the US authorities to “intensify their efforts to ensure the total elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race or ethnic origin.”

George Floyd’s death has led to a growing national outcry on social media and on the streets, with two consecutive days of protests in Minneapolis and other US cities.