African Union suspends Burkina Faso after coup

The African Union said it has suspended Burkina Faso until constitutional order is restored in the West African country.

It comes a week after mutinous soldiers ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in a coup, citing his inability to stem jihadi violence.

The suspensions mean the countries cannot participate in any meetings or decision-making, officials said.

While no sanctions have been imposed on Burkina Faso, a joint delegation with ECOWAS and the head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, arrived in the capital Ouagadougou on Monday to assess the situation, according to the UN.

Talks with Burkina Faso’s new junta leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, and ECOWAS began on Saturday when a West African military delegation arrived.

The junta said Mr Kabore had not adequately addressed extremist violence in Burkina Faso, which has killed thousands and displaced more than 1.5 million people.

Speaking to the nation last week for the first time since seizing power, Lt Col Damiba said he was going to bring security and order back and unite the country, but warned that betrayal would not be tolerated by the new regime.