African Union suspends participation of Niger following coup

The African Union (AU) has decided to suspend Niger from all of its activities due to a military coup that occurred on July 26. This decision was announced in a statement released on Tuesday. In the statement, the AU also reiterated its call for the coup leaders to release President Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected, and to return to their barracks.

The AU Peace and Security Council has taken note of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decision to activate a standby force that could potentially intervene militarily in Niger. As a result, the AU Commission has been asked to assess the economic, social, and security implications of deploying such a force.

In response to the military coup in Niger, ECOWAS has stated that it is prepared to send troops into the country if diplomatic efforts to restore democracy fail. This move is seen as a measure to ensure the stability and democratic processes in Niger are reinstated.

The AU has called upon all member states and the international community to refrain from taking any action that might give legitimacy to Niger’s junta. Furthermore, the AU has expressed its firm rejection of any interference from non-African actors or countries.

Reporting on this development is done by Nellie Peyton, with the writing by Bhargav Acharya and editing by Alexander Winning.