The African Union is the latest organization to announce that it has suspened Mali following last week’s military coup.
That was the second time in nine months soldiers had taken up arms to control the government.
Last year the soldiers toppled the government led by ex-President Keita. A transitional process was in place after an interim President and prime minister were appointed.
But that transitional administration has also been overthrown by the soldiers who were unhappy with a reshuffle carried out within the transitional government.
The coup leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta has declared himself president and is now expected to ensure a transition to civilian rule.
The African Union in a statement called for a return to civilian government and warned to impose sanctions and other punitive measures.
The statement said AU decided to “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.”
Last Sunday, the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS was the first group to suspend Mali from the regional body over latest coup by the military.
ECOWAS leaders ordered the military leaders to restore the transitional arrangement put in place in August 2020.
The hope is that this move will ensure that the troubled West African state returns to a democratic rule by February 2022.
In a communique, the ECOWAS leaders reiterated “the earlier decisions that the Head of the transition, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister of the transition should not, under any circumstances, be candidates for the forthcoming Presidential election and reaffirmed” ECOWAS’ support to accompany the transition process in Mali”.
Source: Africafeeds.com
