The African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau following this week’s coup in the west African country, the AU Commission head told AFP on Friday.
The AU decided “to suspend Guinea-Bissau from its bodies with immediate effect”, chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said.
The election observation missions to Guinea-Bissau set up by the African Union and Economic Community of West African States, and the West African Elders Forum, condemned the halt of the announcement of presidential and legislative elections and subsequent military takeover in the West African country.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the election missions deplored what they described as “a blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process” in Guinea-Bissau.
The statement was signed by Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission, Filipe Nyusi; Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, Issifu Kamara; and Head of the West African Elders Forum, Goodluck Jonathan.
The missions called on the AU and ECOWAS to take necessary steps to restore constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau they also announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies until a full and effective constitutional order is restored.
