The decision is in response to Guinea's successful December election, the continental body has said

Guinea has been reinstated into the African Union (AU) after more than four years of suspension following a military coup that overthrew its civilian government. The decision came after a presidential election in the West African nation last month.

In a statement following a meeting on Thursday, the AU's Peace and Security Council (PSC) praised Guinea's leadership for implementing a political transition roadmap that culminated in "the successful organization of the presidential election."

"The Peace and Security Council decides to lift the suspension of the participation of the Republic of Guinea in the activities of the AU... and invites the Republic of Guinea to immediately resume its participation in the activities of the union," the PSC stated.

Guinea was suspended from the AU in September 2021, when the military ousted then-President Alpha Conde, citing corruption and mismanagement of public funds. Conde, who became the country's first democratically elected civilian leader in 2010, ruled for just over a decade. He secured a controversial third term in 2020 after pushing through constitutional changes that allowed him to extend his rule, sparking widespread unrest.

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General Mamady Doumbouya was installed as interim leader after leading the coup, Guinea's third since independence from France in 1958. The country was barred from participating in AU activities until constitutional order was restored. The military government had earlier agreed in talks with the regional bloc ECOWAS to return the country to civilian rule within two years, but the pledge was not met.

In December, Doumbouya secured victory in an election, winning 86.72% of the vote against eight rivals.

The AU's PSC has congratulated Doumbouya and encouraged him to "fulfil his commitments to restore the dignity of the Guinean people." The council also urged the authorities to organize legislative elections and strengthen national unity and stability.

Guinea is not the only country to have faced suspension from the AU. In recent years, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Niger, as well as Guinea Bissau and Madagascar late last year, have also been suspended following military coups.

The AU says it will continue engaging and supporting member states undergoing political transitions to expedite the process and "facilitate the swift return to constitutional order."