Mali Suspended By African Union After Another Coup

Posted by: Eninu William in African News June 2, 2021

Mali has been suspended by the African Union from participating in any activity concerned with the continental organization. This comes after the second coup in a space of nine months. The African Union went ahead to threaten the poor country with a number of sanctions if they don’t restore order immediately.

The international community has also gone ahead to warn Mali of deeper economic sanctions in the unstable Sahel region.

Part of the African Union’s Peace and Security council statement read; “The 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”.

This move came after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had suspended Mali earlier on.

The AU statement further rallied the military in Mali “to urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Mali”.

The AU further gave a warning to the military about handing power back to the civilian government.

“The Council will not hesitate to impose targeted sanctions and other punitive measures”. Another excerpt from the AU statement read.

Colonel Assimi Goita who led the coup last August was present at the crisis ECOWAS meeting in Ghana over the weekend. He had gone to contest the decision of kicking Mali out of the organization but returned to Bamako.

Malians last year protested against massive corruption and a violent jihadist insurgency.

This prompted Col Goita along with other officers to overthrow the government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Due to ECOWAS pressure and looming financial sanctions, the military agreed to handover power to an interim president and prime minister.

However these soldiers last week detained interim president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane. This caused a diplomatic uproar. The army only released them on Thursday and announced they had voluntarily resigned.

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