The President of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, Bankul Adeoye, said in a press conference on Sunday that the Assembly of Member States of the the African Union “I affirmed zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government.”
The federation suspended the membership of Mali, Guinea and Sudan in 2021, and then the membership of Burkina a year later, due to the army’s seizure of power.
The thirty-sixth summit of the African Union will be held on Saturday and Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Adewe added that the union is ready to help the four countries “return to constitutional order”.
The official stressed the need to “protect” and “consolidate” democracy, and “the African Union remains firm against any undemocratic access to power.”
Mali, Burkina and Guinea have also been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In addition, the member states of “ECOWAS” decided on Saturday to maintain their sanctions against the three countries and “impose a travel ban on members of the government and other representatives” of these countries, according to a statement signed by the President of Guinea-Bissau, Omar Sissoko Empalo, who currently heads the organization, after a meeting. Held on the sidelines of the African Union summit.
On February 10, the three countries requested the suspension of their membership in the group as well as in the African Union, expressing regret over the “imposed sanctions”.
A return to the constitutional order is theoretically expected in 2024 in Mali and Burkina Faso, and in 2025 in Guinea. The three countries sent delegations to Addis Ababa to demand the lifting of sanctions.
“These sanctions do not seem to be yielding the expected results,” said the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Saturday. “On the contrary, it arouses the mistrust of the countries concerned and seems to exacerbate the suffering of the population,” he added.
Reconciliation conference in Libya
On the other hand, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, revealed to the French News Agency on Sunday that the continental organization will organize a conference on national reconciliation in Libya, in the latest attempt to restore stability to the conflict-torn country.
“We have met with the various parties and we are in the process of working with them to determine the date and venue of the national conference,” which will be held “under the auspices of a high-level African Union committee” headed by Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, he said, after a press conference that concluded the two-day African Union summit.
Libya suffers divisions between east and west as well as foreign interference.
Libya was scheduled to witness presidential and legislative elections in December 2021, but they were postponed indefinitely due to disagreements over the constitutional basis for elections and the presence of controversial candidates.
France 24/AFP
