AU Suspends Guinea-Bissau After Military Takeover

ADDIS ABABA, Xinhua: The African Union (AU) Commission has suspended Guinea-Bissau from the pan-African bloc until constitutional order is restored following the country’s sudden military takeover.

The decision was adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council at an emergency meeting on the situation in the West African nation, according to a communique issued on Saturday.

Citing relevant AU instruments, the council “decides to immediately suspend Guinea-Bissau from participating in all activities of the Union, its organs and institutions, until constitutional order is restored in the country,” the communique read.

It expressed “deep concern and strongly condemned” Wednesday’s seizure of power by the military, calling it “a grave obstruction to the democratic and constitutional order, which undermines vital prospects for stability, and the rule of law expressed by the people of Guinea-Bissau.”

The council also “totally rejected” the unconstitutional change of government in the country as a “blatant violation of AU principles and normative instruments.”

It further demanded that Guinea-Bissau’s military leaders “urgently and unconditionally” uphold the principle of constitutionalism, and refrain from further interference in the political processes in the country.

Meanwhile, the council called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of detained electoral officials, political figures, and those who participated in the elections. Guinea-Bissau held its presidential and legislative elections on Nov. 23.

On Wednesday, Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces announced that they had seized full control of state power to counter what they described as attempts to destabilize the country.

Analysts said the sudden political shift occurred only a day before the release of presidential election results and stemmed from sharp tensions among competing political forces.