African Union suspends Mali from participation in all activities of its organs and institutions

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), has suspended Mali from participation in all activities of the African  Union, its Organs and institutions, until normal constitutional order has been restored in the country.

The decision was contained in a Communique referenced PSC/PR/COMM.(1001(2021) issued at the end of its 1001st meeting held on June 1, 2021, on the situation in Mali.

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council endorsed “the decisions adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, as outlined in paragraph 8 of its Communique issued on 30 May 2021, in Accra, Ghana”

Condemned “in the strongest terms possible and totally rejected coups d’état and unconstitutional changes of government in the Continent, consistent with the provisions of Article 4(p) of the AU Constitutive Act”

The PSC accordingly decided, in line with the relevant AU normative instruments, 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.

It urged the Malian military to urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Mali, while calling for the creation of conducive conditions for an unimpeded, transparent and swift return to the civilian-led transition, based on the agreed transition road map for Mali, failing which, the Council will not hesitate to impose targeted sanctions and other punitive measures against any spoilers of the current transition; 

Those in attendance at the meeting included the PSC Chairperson for June 2021 and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi to the AU, H.E. Ambassador Joel Nkurabagaya, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye; H.E. Ambassador Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the AU, as the representative of ECOWAS Chair and Ambassador Fafre Camara, Permanent Representative of Mali to the AU, as well as the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Head of the AU Mission for the Sahel (MISAHEL), H.E. Ambassador Maman Sidikou.