APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The African Union’s Peace and Security Council has suspended Gabon’s membership with “immediate effect” following Wednesday’s military coup which overthrew civilian president Ali Bongo.
The decision to suspend Gabon from the AU membership was made by the Peace and Security Council of the AU Commission during its latest meeting on the situation in the Central African country, the AU said on Friday in a statement.
“It decided to immediately suspend the participation of Gabon in all activities of the AU, its organs and institutions until the restoration of constitutional order in the country,” the statement said.
It condemned any politically motivated arrests in the circumstances and stressed the importance of ensuring that all political detainees are processed through the judicial system as prescribed by the law of the country.
The council demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order through the conduct of free, fair, credible and transparent elections that would be observed by the AU Election Observer Mission and the concerned region.
It also urged the Gabonese military to immediately return to barracks, unconditionally return power to the civilian authority, and uphold their constitutional mandate and the principle of constitutionalism.
MG/as/APA