AU suspends Niger over coup

• The African Union has suspended Niger’s membership in the wake of the military coup.
• Earlier The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had also imposed sanctions on the country.

ABOUT AFRICAN UNION

• The African Union (AU) is a continental body made up of the countries of the African Continent.
• It was officially launched in 2002 in Durban, South Africa and replaced the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which was founded in 1963.
• The African Union is made up of 55 member states.
• Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Aim- To promote unity, cooperation, and development among African nations while advancing the continent’s interests on the global stage.
• The highest decision-making body is the Assembly, which consists of the heads of state and government of member countries.
• AU Member States are divided into five geographic regions which were defined by the OAU in 1976.