The African Union has taken the step of suspending Niger from all of its institutions and activities as a response to last month’s coup, with the condition that this suspension will remain in effect “until the effective restoration of constitutional order.”
According to The Nation, President Tinubu, who holds the position of chairman in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is currently engaged in discussions. He is meeting with Omar Touray, the leader of the ECOWAS delegation to Niger Republic’s military junta, along with General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the bloc officially communicated its decision to suspend Niger, citing the military junta’s failure to transfer power to the democratically elected President, Mohammed Bazoum, as the primary reason for this course of action.
It read: “The AU decides, in line with the relevant AU instruments, in particular, the AU Constitutive Act, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, to immediately suspend the participation of the Republic of Niger from all activities of the AU and its Organs and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country.
“The AU in this regard, calls upon all Member States of the AU and the international community including bilateral and multilateral partners, at large to reject this unconstitutional change of government and to refrain from any action likely to grant legitimacy to the illegal regime in Niger.”
The AU also commended the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States in its efforts to ensure a return to democratic rule in Niger.
“The AU commends the efforts of ECOWAS under the leadership of H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and calls on AU Member States to fully implement the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS and endorsed by the PSC and requests the Commission, in consultation with ECOWAS, to regularly inform the Council on the progress being made on the implementation of the imposed sanctions.”
