Coup::ECOWAS Directs Member States To Shut Borders Against Mali, Withdraw Ambassadors

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),has slammed  sanction on Mali over recent coup d’etat in the country

The sanctions which  are expected to take immediate effect, includes withdrawal of all ECOWAS Ambassadors in Mali; closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali; suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Mali, with the exception of the following products: essential consumer goods; pharmaceutical products; medical supplies and equipment, including materials for the control of COVID-19 products, and electricity

Other   measures against the military junta involves freezing of assets of Mali in ECOWAS Central Banks; freeze assets of the Malian State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial Banks as well as suspension of Mali from all financial assistance and transactions from financial institutions.

 The actions were taken at the Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government which held in Accra, Ghana on Sunday.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who  represented his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting,said ECOWAS has resolved never to accept coups de’tats; or unconstitutional take over of government of any member country.

He added:”it’s very evident that there is very strong resolve, which is why we are here today. We expect that the actions that will be taken will point the junta in Mali in the right direction.I think ECOWAS has shown that it has not lost its bite where there are concerns about issues of good governance and democratic enterprises in the sub-region, which is why sanctions against Guinea and Mali were imposed.”

The  summit also rejected the transition schedule proposed by the Malian military junta, insisting that “the proposed chronogram for a transition is totally unacceptable”.

A communique issued at the end of the summit  said ECOWAS Heads of State  instructed all community institutions to take steps to implement these sanctions with immediate effect.

It also noted that the sanctions will only be gradually lifted after an acceptable and agreed transition chronogram is finalised and monitored-satisfactory progress is realised in the implementation of the chronogram for the elections.

On the crisis in Guinea, ECOWAS noted that it remained concerned about the slow progress of the transition process four months after the coup.

The communique  the leaders lamentedabsence of chronogram for the election and the non-setting up of the National Council of Transition (CNT).

It directed that a mission be dispatched to Conakry to discuss the transition.

Declaring the Summit open, Chairman of ECOWAS, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, lauded commitment of West African leaders to the growth of the sub-region.

 President Akufo-Addo said, “as you did through the entire year of 2021, you continue to demonstrate your commitment to responding to urgent and critical evolving situations in the region.

“This is the 6th Extraordinary Summit since I assumed the chair of the Authority that Your Excellencies have participated in concerning the vexed issues of Mali and Guinea. It is a strong testimony to your leadership and concern to the progress of ECOWAS.”