AU SUSPENDS MALI FOLLOWING MILITARY COUP
Mali has been suspended from the African Union (AU) following the second military coup in the country.
The suspension from the African Union comes 72 hours after the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) suspended Mali from its fold over the coup.
In a statement by its Peace and Security Council, the AU said Mali is barred from participating in its activities and that the suspension will stay in place “until normal constitutional order has been restored”.
The union said it was “deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Mali and its negative impact on the gains made thus far in the transition process in the country”.
It called for a return to the transition, the release of all political prisoners, including the detained interim President Bah Ndaw and interim Prime Minister Moctar Ouane who are under house arrest.
“AU decides… to immediately suspend the Republic of Mali from participation in all activities of the African Union, its Organs and institutions until normal constitutional order has been restored in the country,” the union said.
“The AU strongly urges the Malian military to urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Mali.”
The union also called “for the creation of conducive conditions for an unimpeded, transparent and swift return to the civilian-led transition, based on the agreed transition roadmap for Mali”.
Recall, Eons Intelligence reported last Tuesday that soldiers arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and took them to a military base after a cabinet reshuffle in which two officers lost their posts.
Their detentions followed the military ouster in August of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, and Defence Minister Souleymane Doucoure were all taken to a military base in Kati outside the capital Bamako, hours after two members of the military and first coup leaders lost their positions in a Government reshuffle.
The two coup leaders; Ex-Defence Minister Sadio Camara, and Ex-Security Minister Colonel Modibo Kone, were replaced on Monday May 24.
Read Also: FG CONDEMNS DETENTION OF MALI’S PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER
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