African Union maintains ‘zero tolerance’ for undemocratic changes of power
The African Union reaffirmed its position, Sunday, February 19, at the end of the 36th summit of the organization, with regard to unconstitutional changes of power: it is always ” zero tolerance “. Prior to the meeting, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, suspended from the AU and ECOWAS following coups, had asked for their reinstatement, recalls Florence Morice in Addis Ababa. In vain. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the African Union’s peace and security commissioner, hammered it home again:
” The assembly reaffirmed its zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government. The African Union maintains that it in no way tolerates undemocratic methods of gaining political power. »
” The peace and security department of the commission is available to mobilize more human, technical or financial resources to help these countries face the scourge of terrorism through the reform of their security sector. I would really like to assure you that we will do everything in our power to help these Member States to return to the family, if they work on their own to restore constitutional order. »
On Saturday February 18, the member countries of ECOWAS, meeting in Addis Ababa, had also decided to maintain their sanctions against Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea and to also impose ” travel bans to members of the government and representatives of these countries. At the end of the African Union summit, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the AU Commission, also invited reflection on the advisability of giving priority to ” individual penalties “targeted to deter those who want to make unconstitutional changes to avoid” that general sanctions could affect the interests of the populations “.