Following the coup of July 26th, Niger has been suspended from all activities of the African Union (AU) and its organs and institutions. This is one of the strong decisions made by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) during its 1168th meeting held on August 14, 2023, regarding the updated briefing on the situation in Niger.
The Peace and Security Council has officially released a statement on the Nigerien crisis. In point 7 of the statement, which BENIN WEB TV has been able to review, the PSC decided to “immediately suspend the participation of the Republic of Niger in all activities of the AU and its organs and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country.”
This decision was made in accordance with the relevant AU instruments, particularly the Constitutive Act of the AU, 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.
The PSC reiterated its opposition to the coup that occurred in Niger. The Council called on “all AU member states and the international community, including bilateral and multilateral partners, to reject this unconstitutional change of government and refrain from any action that could legitimize the illegal regime in Niger.”
No External Interference… The African Union’s Peace and Security Council strongly condemns the coup and calls for the restoration of constitutional order in Niger, but it opposes any external interference. This AU body rejects “any external interference by an actor or country outside the Continent in issues of peace and security in Africa, including the engagement of private military companies on the continent, in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa.”
