African Union suspends Mali's membership due to military mutiny

20 August 2020


The African Union (AU) decided on Wednesday to suspend Mali's membership in response to the country's military-led insurgency, the AU Peace and Security Council reported on Twitter.


"The AU suspends Mali's membership until constitutional order is restored," the organization said.


In addition, the Afro-Union demanded "the release of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the Prime Minister and other members of the government forcibly held by the army."

 

 

In a special statement, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who now holds the presidency of the AU, called for the mobilization of the international community to restore the civil rule in Mali.


"We call on African leaders and the entire international community to condemn and reject the unconstitutional change of government by the military and to help the people of Mali return to civil and democratic rule," Ramaphosa said.


The leading regional organization, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), issued a statement on Wednesday calling the rebels putschists and closing the borders with Mali in order to stop economic interaction with it until constitutional order is restored. It was also decided to hold an emergency ECOWAS summit on  August 20 to discuss developments in Mali and further actions by its neighboring countries.


The countries of the "Group of five" of the African Sahel zone (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad), which are participating in the joint fight against international terrorism in this part of Africa, also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was arrested by the rebel military.

 

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Photo: Marko Bukorovic / Pixabay

Based on materials from TASS