The African Union (AU) has suspended Niger’s membership, the latest sanction against the country after last month’s coup.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council announced Niger’s suspension at a meeting in Addis Ababa on Tuesday. The move comes as regional bodies and Western nations pressure the military junta that seized power on July 26.

Under the coup orchestrated by members of the presidential guard, elected leader Mohamed Bazoum remains under house arrest. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) already imposed sanctions and approved deploying a regional military force as a “last resort.”

On Monday, ECOWAS rejected the junta’s proposal to hold elections in three years. The AU backed this stance, calling on members and partners to avoid legitimizing Niger’s new rulers.

“We strongly reject any external interference by any party or country in the affairs of the continent, including private military companies,” the AU statement affirmed.

The pan-African body said it was reviewing the planned ECOWAS military intervention. Analysts say the AU aims to balance pressuring Niger’s coup leaders while avoiding an escalation that further destabilizes the country.

Niger has undergone four coups since gaining independence from France in 1960. The latest takeover underscored the fragility of democratic gains in West Africa amid a backdrop of growing militancy across the Sahel region.