The 1001st meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), held on 1 June 2021, on the situation in Mali and decided, accordingly, in line with the relevant AU normative instruments, to immediately suspend the Republic of Mali from participation in all activities of the African Union, its Organs and institutions, until normal constitutional order has been restored in the country.

This came after the AU organ had condemned in the strongest terms possible and totally rejected coups d’état and unconstitutional changes of government on the continent, consistent with the provisions of Article 4(p) of the AU Constitutive Act.

The PSC strongly urged the Malian military to urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Mali, while calling for the creation of conducive conditions for an unimpeded, transparent and swift return to the civilian-led transition, based on the agreed transition roadmap for Mali, failing which, the Council would not hesitate to impose targeted sanctions and other punitive measures against any spoilers of the current transition.

It called on the Malian defence and security forces to immediately lift all restrictions on all political actors, including the house arrest of H.E. Bah N’Daw and H.E. Moctar Ouane.

It called upon the transitional authorities to respect and abide by the originally stipulated 18 months transitional period and appealed to the Malian people to place the supreme interests of the country and its people above all else, to remain calm and to continue to work together within the framework of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Mali.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission was requested, through his Special Representative and Head of AU Mission in Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), to continue to closely coordinate with the ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator to Mali, H.E. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was also requested to monitor the situation in Mali closely and to provide regular updates to Council, at least once every quarter and as necessary.

It also reiterated the AU’s readiness to actively collaborate with the UN in maintaining peace, stability and security in Mali.

Regarding the forthcoming presidential elections in the country, the PSC demanded that the current leadership of the transition process, including the Head of the Transition, Vice-President and Prime Minister, should not, under any circumstances, be candidates in the election.

The Council decided to constitute an evaluation mission to Mali, to engage with all concerned stakeholders and the ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator, in order to identify areas in which the AU could provide support to Mali, particularly as this relates to the implementation of the transition programme and the holding of elections.