The African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau following a military coup, saying it won’t tolerate unconstitutional changes by any sovereign country.
In a resolution adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council on Friday, the organisation reaffirmed that, it has “zero tolerance on unconstitutional changes of government” and moved to “immediately suspend the Republic of Guinea-Bissau from participating in all activities of the Union, its organs and institutions, until constitutional order is restored in the country.”
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October.
The country of 2.2 million people is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trend that experts say has fueled its political crises.
The suspension was announced a day after the West African regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies until the constitutional order is restored.
The military takeover on Wednesday followed presidential and legislative elections held on Sunday. Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias each claimed victory.
Following the coup, the military high command in the West African nation inaugurated former army chief of staff, Gen. Horta Inta-a, as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period, according to a declaration broadcast on state television.
