by Xiao Lingjun

    NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- African leaders are holding a summit on July1-3 in the Libyan port city Sirte amid a grave challenge being posed by a series of military coups and coup attempts over the past months.

    The summit, which was originally planned to open in Tananarive, the capital of Madagascar, had to change its venue after opposition leader Andry Rajoelina ousted then president Marc Ravalomanana in March with the backing of the military.

    The African Union (AU) condemned the unconstitutional change of government as a coup and suspended the Indian Ocean island state from the 53-member bloc.

    Madagascar is the third country to be deprived of AU membership following a coup, after Mauritania and Guinea.

    While the coups shocked African leaders and the world, Togo and Guinea-Bissau recently reported failed coup attempts to add to fears of a comeback of military rule that swept the continent in the latter half of the 20th century.

    In Guinea-Bissau, the Interior Ministry announced early in June that it foiled a "coup attempt" in which several people were killed, including a presidential candidate of the June 28 elections and a former defense minister.

    The political killings followed the twin assassinations of President Joao Bernardo Vieira of the West African country and his military chief of staff Gen. Batista Tagme Na Wai in March.

    The resurge of old-styled coups prompted African leaders to act in unity in defense of democracy and constitution, which are commonly valued in the 21st century as key to development and prosperity in the continent.

    At the opening of their 13th ordinary session of conference in Sirte on Wednesday, AU Commission President Jean Ping expressed concern over the "grave tensions" and "persistent conflicts in Africa." He urged African leaders to "adopt collective attitude" toward the "anti-constitutional changes in order not to weaken the Union."

    Although military coups are blamed on a number of factors, including Africa's colonial history, the cold war, poverty and corruption, they have the same consequences of instability.

    In African countries where conflicts are continuing, one can without exception find a history of coup. Somalia, for example, has suffered years of war since former president Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

    To put an end to the "coup culture" in the continent, African leaders have responded with determination to the newly emerged military rulers. Following the coups, the AU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) respectively suspended Mauritania, Guinea and Madagascar.

    Meanwhile, the AU, the ECOWAS and the SADC mediate political solutions to the coup-induced crisis.

    With the help of the international community, African leaders have persuaded the opposition and the military junta in Mauritaniato hold the presidential election on July 18. If the vote proves a success, it will not only end the crisis triggered by the military coup on Aug. 6, but set an example for Guinea and Madagascar.

    On Wednesday, the AU announced the lifting of sanctions against Mauritania to encourage the parties concerned in search for the restoration of democracy and constitutional order.

    In Guinea, the military junta, which seized power in December after the death of President Lansana Conte, has said it will surrender power after an election by the end of this year. The authorities in Madagascar are also expected to end the crisis within 14 months.

    In these circumstances, the Sirte summit serves an important platform to consolidate the continent's conception of democracy and constitutional order in pursuit of peace, development and prosperity. No part for coup is a consensus to take root in the new era of Africa, which is evident in the fact that coup leaders themselves have to resort to elections for a way out.