New Delhi: The African Union (AU) said on Tuesday that it has suspended Niger from all its activities following a military coup on July 26. In a statement, the union reiterated calls for the coup leaders to release elected President Mohamed Bazoum and return to their barracks, reported news agency Reuters.
AU also said that it would assess the implications of any armed intervention in the Sahel nation.
The Peace and Security Council "requests the AU Commission to undertake an assessment of the economic, social and security implications of deploying a standby force in Niger and report back to Council," the bloc said, reported AFP.
As per the agency, the resolutions in Tuesday's statement were adopted at a council meeting held on August 14.
According to Reuters, the coup last month has caused alarm among Western allies and democratic African states who fear it could allow Islamist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group active in the Sahel region to expand their reach.
West African regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been trying to negotiate with the junta but said that it is ready to send troops into Niger to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail.
Army officers toppled President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, prompting ECOWAS to threaten to use force to reinstate him. ECOWAS has agreed to activate a "standby force" as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger.
Since 2020, Niger is the fourth nation in West Africa to suffer a coup, following Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
The election of President Mohamed Bazoum in 2021 was a watershed moment in Niger's history, ushering in the first peaceful transition of power since the country's independence from France in 1960.
He has been held with his family at the president's official residence since the coup.
