Addis Ababa June 25 (IANS) The African Union (AU) has condemned bomb attacks during political rallies in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe on June 23.

In a statement on Sunday the Chairperson of the Commission of AU Moussa Faki Mahamat said he learned with shock and dismay the attack that took place in Ethiopia s capital Addis Ababa on Saturday at a rally held in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed s reform agenda and efforts Xinhua reported.

The Ethiopia Ministry of Health said the bomb attack left two persons dead and 156 others injured.

"I condemn this cowardly attack that can t be justified under any circumstance. The AU expresses solidarity with the Ethiopian people and government as well as with the victims of this criminal act " said Mahamat s statement.

In a separate statement the chairperson said his organisation strongly condemns the "cowardly bomb attack" that took place on Saturday during a campaign rally in Bulawayo Zimbabwe attended by President Emerson Mnangagwa.

The bomb attack that the Zimbabwean President has called an assassination attempt has injured 49 people including Zimbabwe s vice-president Kembo Mohadi.

The statement reiterated the call for a successful presidential parliamentary and local elections scheduled for July 30 in Zimbabwe.

AU has already deployed a five-person independent electoral assessment mission in Zimbabwe as the country gears up for the July 30 elections to provide technical support to the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC).

--IANS pgh/