ADDIS ABABA: The African Union (AU) has suspended Egypt after ousting of President Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected President, a senior official of the Union said on Friday.
Egypt was suspended from all its activities until it restores constitutional order, Secretary of AU Peace and Security Council Admore Kambudzi said after an AU meeting
“As mandated by the relevant AU instruments, the African Union Peace and Security Council decides to suspend the participation of Egypt in AU activities until the restoration of constitutional order,” Kambudzi said.
Suspension is the AU’s usual response to any interruption of constitutional rule in a member state.
The move comes two days after the army ousted Morsi in response to protesters’ demands for his resignation.
The North African country is now headed by its top judge Adly Mansour for an interim period.
In the meantime, Morsi’s supporters continue their rallies calling for his reinstatement. They are staging a mass demonstration in Cairo’s Nasr City. The angry protesters have promised to fight to the death until their elected president is brought back to power.
The Egyptian army has deployed tanks near the Presidential Palace and in Nasr City.
Several arrest warrants have also been issued for members of Muslim Brotherhood to which Morsi belongs.
In another development, the military announced state of emergency in south of Sinai and Suez Canal regions following an attack by gunmen on an airport in the Sinai town of El-Arish.
Morsi is reportedly being held “preventively” by the military. An army official said he might face formal charges over accusations made by his opponents.
