African Union Suspends Sudan's Participation in Organisation's Activities

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The African Union (AU) has suspended Sudan’s participation in the activities until the country’s civilian transitional government is restored.

In a statement, the AU said that its Peace and Security Council decided to suspend Sudan’s participation in all activities of the organisation.

Sudanese military detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and several other cabinet ministers on Monday, prompting hundreds of people to take to the streets of Khartoum to protest the military takeover. The head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, then declared a state of emergency and dissolved the council and government.

In this June 29, 2019, file photo, Sudanese Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the military council, speaks during a military-backed rally, in Omdurman district, west of Khartoum, Sudan. An African Union envoy says Sudan's ruling military council and the country's pro-democracy movement have reached a power-sharing agreement, including a timetable for a transition to civilian rule. Mohammed el-Hassan Labat said early Friday, July 5, that both sides agreed to form a joint sovereign council that will rule the country for "three years or a little more." The sides agreed to five seats for the military and five for civilians with an additional seat going to a civilian with military background.

© AP Photo / Hussein Malla

The African Union includes 55 nations, and promotes cooperation between its members and is involved in several peacekeeping missions on the continent. Earlier this year, the organisation suspended two of its members - Mali and Guinea - after military coups there.