The Comorian Head of State, Azali Assoumani, who is also the President-in-Office of the African Union, had planned to visit Mali and Burkina Faso from August 14th. However, the visits were postponed due to the controversy surrounding a family photo taken during the Russia-Africa summit held in Saint Petersburg from July 26th to 29th.
On July 27th, a group of African heads of state, including the president of the Comoros who holds the presidency of the African Union, chose to boycott the family photo at the Saint Petersburg summit.
There have been reports that visits to Bamako and Ouagadougou have been canceled due to unmet requirements. As a result, Malian Assimi Goïta and Burkinabè Ibrahim Traoré have decided to declare Azali Assoumani as “persona non grata”. The purpose of these visits was to evaluate the electoral schedule in Mali and Burkina Faso for a return to constitutional order, but unfortunately, they will not proceed as planned. This update was provided by Houmed Msaid.
Houmed Msaidié, the spokesperson for the Comorian government, recalled that President Azali is chairing the African Union this year, which firmly opposes coups. Still, according to him, with these juntas undergoing regional, continental, and international sanctions, this family photo was not possible. The spokesperson also recalled that a return to constitutional order in these two countries remains the priority of the Comorian presidency.