Breaking: African Union Suspends Niger Over Coup

Following a military takeover in Niger on July 26, the African Union (AU) announced in a statement on Tuesday that the West African Nation has been suspended from all of its operations.

The statement repeated demands for the coup leaders to release elected President Mohamed Bazoum and go back to their barracks.

The West African bloc, ECOWAS, decided to activate a standby force in preparation for a potential military intervention. The AU Peace and Security Council noted this decision and requested that the AU Commission evaluate the potential economic, social, and security repercussions of deploying such a force.

If diplomatic attempts to restore democracy are unsuccessful, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has stated it is ready to send soldiers into Niger.

The AU firmly denounced meddling from any actor or country outside of Africa and urged all of its member states and the international community to abstain from any move that would legitimise the coup in Niger.