African Union suspends Burkina Faso after coup last week

By SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — The African Union has announced in a tweet that it has suspended Burkina Faso until constitutional order is restored in the West African country. The suspension of Burkina Faso 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 15-nation West African group ECOWAS had already suspended Burkina Faso last week, making it the third nation in the regional bloc — after Mali and Guinea — to be punished for military takeovers in a year and a half. Officials said the suspensions mean the countries cannot participate in any meetings or decision-making.