The African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all Union activities after a military takeover, reiterating a strict stance against unconstitutional changes of government.
In a resolution adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council, the union said it has "zero tolerance on unconstitutional changes of government" and decided 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, a country of roughly 2.2 million people and one of the world’s poorest states, has suffered repeated coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal more than five decades ago. Observers note that the country's role as a transit hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe has helped fuel chronic political instability.
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS also announced it had suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies until constitutional order is reestablished.
The military takeover on Wednesday followed presidential and legislative elections held on Sunday, after which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared victory. In the days after the vote, President Embaló flew to neighboring Senegal on a flight chartered by the Senegalese government.
State television broadcast a declaration from the country's military high command saying the former army chief of staff, Gen. Horta Inta-a, had been installed as head of a military government that will oversee a one-year transition period.
The AU and ECOWAS suspensions aim to increase diplomatic pressure on the junta and push for a swift return to civilian rule, while regional and international actors monitor the situation closely.
