The African Union on Tuesday suspended Niger from all of its institutions and activities “until the effective restoration of constitutional order” following last month’s coup.

The council of the 55-nation bloc made the decision after mutinous soldiers overthrew Niger’s democratically elected president last month and quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffing most dialogue efforts.

President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and son have been kept under house arrest in the capital, Niamey. 

This was the council’s first public communication since it met earlier this month to discuss Niger’s crisis.

The Council called on all member states and the international community to reject the country’s “unconstitutional change of government and to refrain from any action likely to grant legitimacy to the illegal regime in Niger.”

The AU commission and the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS were requested to urgently submit a list of members of the military junta and their military and civilian supporters, including those involved in the violation of human rights of Bazoum and other detainees for targeted sanctions, it said.