DAKAR – In a decisive move against political instability, the African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau following a military coup, underscoring its commitment to opposing unconstitutional power shifts.

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council, in a resolution adopted on Friday, emphasized its strong stance against unconstitutional changes in government. The council has decided to “immediately suspend the Republic of Guinea-Bissau from participating in all activities of the Union, its organs, and institutions until constitutional order is restored in the country.”

Guinea-Bissau’s troubled political landscape is not new; it has been plagued by coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal over half a century ago. The nation, home to 2.2 million people, remains one of the world’s poorest. Its strategic location has made it a notorious transit point for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a factor that experts believe exacerbates its political turmoil.

Echoing the AU’s response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies on Thursday, calling for the restoration of constitutional governance.

The recent military coup unfolded on Wednesday, just after Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections. The political tension heightened as both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared themselves victorious, setting the stage for the military’s intervention.

Embalo arrived in neighboring Senegal on Thursday with a flight chartered by the Senegalese government.

Following the coup, the military high command in the West African nation inaugurated former army chief of staff, Gen. Horta Inta-a, as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period, according to a declaration broadcast on state television.