The African Union has announced that it has ended the suspension of Mali’s membership in their organization, restoring their full membership just weeks ahead of their presentation of a plan to invade the country.

The AU suspended Mali after a military coup earlier this year, which came after the military lost control of the northern two-thirds of the nation, dubbed Azawad by Tuareg secessionists. The AU as well as the West African economic bloc ECOWAS are set to present a plan to invade Mali and reimpose government rule on Azawad in the next few weeks.

The UN Security Council has already authorized the war in theory, and is just waiting for an official plan to authorize in practice. European officials, notably France, have expressed eagerness to invade the former French colony, and say that its conquest is “inevitable.”

After the Tuaregs ousted the Malian government from Azawad, they quickly lost control of the region to an Islamist group called Ansar Dine, which is hoping to impose a theocratic system on the region. Foreign Islamist fighters from around the region have reportedly flocked to Azawad to defend it from the impending invasion.

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