ECOWAS suspends Guinea after coup, says it will send mediators

During virtual summit, regional bloc demands return to constitutional order and Alpha Conde’s immediate release.

West Africa’s main regional bloc has suspended Guinea’s membership, days after a military coup that removed President Alpha Conde. During an extraordinary virtual summit on Wednesday, leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanded a return to the constitutional order and the immediate release of Conde, who was arrested by special forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya on Sunday. The ECOWAS leaders also agreed to send a high-level mission to Guinea as soon as Thursday.