African Union team meets Morsi

A visiting delegation from the African Union has met Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi, state news agency MENA reported.

The nine-member African delegation -- dubbed African Wise Panel -- is headed by former president of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, said Xinhua.

"We met the deposed president Tuesday night and he told us that he was ousted from power and that he feels unfairness," former president of Botswana, Fetus Mogae, was quoted as saying.

"We told Morsi that he should take part in achieving peace and preventing violence and that we support opening dialogue with all sides to reach a peaceful solution for the current situation," he said.

Konare, head of the delegation, said his mission was briefed on details clarifying that the June 30 event was an "uprising, not a military coup".

He said the decision to suspend Egypt's activities in the AU was not a "punitive" measure, but a measure to help the AU acquire information and open dialogue.

The AU panel's visit to Egypt -- which began July 27 and will continue till Aug 5 -- was to collect information and consult Egyptian authorities and different parties on the situation in the country.

The group has met interim president Adli Mansour, deputy prime minister and defence minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, foreign minister Nabil Fahmi among others.