African Union has suspended Niger Republic over a military coup that ousted the democratically elected President, Mohammed Bazoum.
The continental body announced this in a communique issued on Tuesday.
“The AU decides, in line with the relevant AU instruments, in particular, the AU Constitutive Act, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, to immediately suspend the participation of the Republic of Niger from all activities of the AU and its Organs and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country
“The AU in this regard, calls upon all Member States of the AU and the international community, including bilateral and multilateral partners at large to reject this unconstitutional change of government and to refrain from any action likely to grant legitimacy to the illegal regime in Niger.
The AU commends the efforts of ECOWAS under the leadership of H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and calls on AU Member States to fully implement the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS and endorsed by the Peace and Security Council (PSC), and requests the Commission, in consultation with ECOWAS, to regularly inform the Council on the progress being made on the implementation of the imposed sanctions,” the communique read in part.
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The AU also called on the military junta in Niger to cooperate with the efforts being deployed by ECOWAS and the AU towards a peaceful and speedy restoration of constitutional order.
The AU also strongly rejects any external interference by any actor or any country outside the Continent in the peace and security affairs in Africa including engagements by private military companies in the continent in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa.
