African Union suspends Mali
- The African Union suspended Mali’s membership in response to last week’s military coup and threatened sanctions, if a civilian-led government is not restored.
- Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa with Bamako as its capital.
- The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa.
- The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union.
- The bloc was founded on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was launched on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa.
- The intention of the AU was to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa by 32 signatory governments.
- The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
- Chairperson: Felix Tshisekedi"