African Union suspends Niger Republic from the Bloc.

African Union suspends Niger Republic from the bloc, until “constitutional order is restored in the country,” following the July 26, 2023 coup that ousted Mohamed Bazoum. 

The Peace and Security Council of the AU Commission made the decision to suspend Niger at its last meeting on the situation in Niger. 

The commission reiterated its full solidarity with the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its continued commitment to restore constitutional order. 

According to a statement from  AU, “The Commission strongly rejects  any external interference by any actor or any country outside the continent in the peace and security affairs in AFRICA 

“The Commission also rejects the engagements by private military companies in the continent in line with the 1977 OAU Convention for Elimination of Mercenarism in AFRICA,” the statement read. 

It then urged the military to place the supreme interests of Niger and its people above all else and to immediately and unconditionally return to the barracks, and submit to civilian authorities consistent with the constitution of Niger. 

KEY TAKE AWAYS:

AU rejected the “interference of any country outside the continent,” in other words RUSSIA. 

But when French troops interfered and were later backed up by UN planes as they humiliated and forcefully removed the anti-west, anti-France Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast, in order to install the pro-France Allassane Ouattara, AU was just fine with it. 

AU also rejected “engagement by private military companies in the continent,” (in other words, Wagner PMC) and cited a Convention against Mercenarism that I’ve never heard or read about before. 

Well, what happened with Libya? Where was our beloved AU? Why are all these conventions and laws suddenly making sense? 

I sincerely do not support coups, but we grew up with them in AFRICA. Only the coups we grew into were all executed at the instance of the colonial powers, so no problems with those, right AU? 

Never in my life have I seen AU rise against anyone brought to power through the numerous French-backed and western-supported coups that we’ve witnessed on the continent of AFRICA. Some of those guys are still in power today, and are veteran members of the AU. No wonder we’ve now come to a place in our lives where coup plotters are being celebrated and praised as freedom fighters. Rather than live in denial of the current realities on ground, the AU should do a thorough soul searching and embark on a revolutionary introspective reexamination of its fundamental roles in this era of renewed and reinvigorated African consciousness. Otherwise, it’ll lose its grip on everything and get swept away with the wind of change, which time has finally come. 

Bottomline: What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Let fairness and equity apply to all and let the good of the motherland take precedence over any special interest and or personal gain.