President-in-Office of the African Union, the Comorian Head of State Azali Assoumani was due to go to Mali and Burkina Faso from August 14. Postponed visits sine diebecause of the controversy surrounding a family photo taken during the Russia-Africa summit held between July 26 and 29 in Saint Petersburg.
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With our correspondent in Moroni, Abdullah Mzembaba
The affair dates back to July 27, when certain African Heads of State, including that of the Comoros which holds the presidency of the African Union, decided to boycott St. Petersburg summit family photo. The reason: the presence in particular of the leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso, who came to power after coups.
A decision that does not pass in Bamako and Ouagadougou. In retaliation, the Malian Assimi Goïta and the Burkinabè Ibrahim Traoré decided to designate Azali Assoumani persona non grata. These visits, the objective of which was to assess the electoral calendar in Mali and Burkina Faso with a view to a return to constitutional order, will therefore not take place.
Joined by RFI, Houmed Msaidié, the spokesperson for the Comorian government, recalled that President Azali is chairing the African Union this year, which firmly opposes coups. Still according to him, these juntas undergoing regional, continental and international sanctions, this family photo was not possible. The spokesperson also recalled that a return to constitutional order in these two countries remains the priority of the Comorian presidency.
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