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| AU suspends Guinea following coup | AU suspends Guinea following coup |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The African Union has suspended Guinea after last week's military coup in the West African nation. | The African Union has suspended Guinea after last week's military coup in the West African nation. |
| Guinea would remain suspended "until the return of constitutional order in that country," the 53-member bloc said in a statement from its Ethiopian base. | Guinea would remain suspended "until the return of constitutional order in that country," the 53-member bloc said in a statement from its Ethiopian base. |
| Junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power after the death of long-serving President Lansana Conte, attracting international condemnation. | Junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power after the death of long-serving President Lansana Conte, attracting international condemnation. |
| But many Guineans back the army's move after many years of misrule. | But many Guineans back the army's move after many years of misrule. |
| Guinea's temporary exclusion from the AU was decided during a meeting of the body's Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, where the organisation is based. | Guinea's temporary exclusion from the AU was decided during a meeting of the body's Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, where the organisation is based. |
| Before the meeting, an AU official told AFP news agency that suspending Guinea was the only option for the AU. | Before the meeting, an AU official told AFP news agency that suspending Guinea was the only option for the AU. |
| "Coups will only exacerbate the continent's existing problems and there is no time to tolerate such actions," said the official, who did not want to be named. | "Coups will only exacerbate the continent's existing problems and there is no time to tolerate such actions," said the official, who did not want to be named. |
| President Conte died aged 74 on 22 December, after being in power for 24 years, after staging his own coup in 1984. | President Conte died aged 74 on 22 December, after being in power for 24 years, after staging his own coup in 1984. |
| Hours later Capt Camara took to the airwaves to announce the dissolution of the government, pledging to root out corruption. | |
| The ousted government initially opposed the coup but, with sentiment on the streets favouring the takeover, soon pledged loyalty to Capt Camara. By Friday nearly all political parties and unions were on board. | |
| The junta has so far ignored international calls to relinquish power. | |
| It promises to hold elections by the end of 2010. | |
| On Sunday the coup leaders sacked more than 20 generals, a move correspondents said was designed to consolidate their grip. | On Sunday the coup leaders sacked more than 20 generals, a move correspondents said was designed to consolidate their grip. |
| At the weekend, Guinea's junta also announced it was suspending mining operations in the country pending a "renegotiation" of agreements with mining companies. | |
| More than a third of the world's bauxite reserves are in Guinea, making it the second-largest producer internationally. It also has large reserves of gold, diamonds, iron and nickel. |