2022 Year in Review

The African Union (AU) has suspended several countries after being affected by
subsequent coups in the last two years. The Union chose to suspend Mali, Guinea, Sudan,
and Burkina Faso from participating in all activities as an incentive for restoring a civilian
democratic rule. However, the AU has chosen to prioritise the recent suspensions instead
of underlying structural issues such as Israel’s role in the union and the Ethiopian conflict.
THE SUSPENSIONS
MALI
Mali was under a transitional
government following a coup d’état in
August 2020 when President Bah Ndaw
and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were
arrested on May 24th, 2021, by the
military, known as the National
Committee for the Salvation of the
People (CNSP). The coup was sparked by
a cabinet shuffle on May 14th, 2021,
where the military was informed by the
media that their Minister for Defence and
Minister of Security and Civil Protection
had been removed. Within an hour of the
announcement, Ndaw and Ouane were
arrested and taken to a military camp in
Kati. The AU suspended Mali on June 1st
2021, urging that the military ‘refrain
from further interference in the political
processes.’
Malian soldiers were cheered by crowds as they
reached the capital Bamako during the coup
PHOTO: BBC NEWS
P A G E 1 7 3