African Union suspends Sudan after military coup

The African Union has suspended Sudan’s participation in activities until the restoration of a civilian-led authority. The World Bank has also suspended funding as the military becomes more internationally isolated.

The African Union (AU) on Wednesday suspended Sudan from all its activities until civilian rule is restored in the country.

The continent-wide bloc said it “strongly condemns the seizure of power,” branding it “unconstitutional.”

It said Sudan would be suspended from all AU activities “until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority.”

Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had on Monday ordered the dissolution of the government and declared a state of emergency. Since then, thousands of citizens have mounted protests, chanting “No to military rule.”

Military relieves ambassadors
On Wednesday evening, General Burhan announced that six Sudanese ambassadors were relieved of their posts, state television reported.

Included were Sudan’s ambassadors to the United States, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head of Sudan’s mission to Geneva.

Earlier Wednesday, the EU Delegation to Sudan made a joint statement that also included Switzerland and the so-called “troika” of countries involved in mediation — Norway, the US, and the UK.

It condemned the military’s actions, but welcomed the fact that coup leaders had allowed Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok to return to his residence

Also on Wednesday, Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the coup a “catastrophic development” and condemned it “in the strongest possible terms.”

Source:dw.com

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