Meeting in Accra, Ghana, on Friday March 25, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided to maintain its sanctions against Mali and threatened Guinea and Burkina Faso, also led by military juntas, additional penalties.  

ECOWAS "invites the transitional authorities (of Mali) to adhere to the recommended 12 to 16 month transition timetable" for the duration of the transition before civilians return to power. 

It maintains the heavy economic sanctions imposed on the country on January 9, 2022 when the junta announced its intention to remain at the head of the country for several years, announcing that it would not organize elections at the end of February as initially planned. 

Economic embargo 

ECOWAS had ordered in January the closure of borders with Mali within the sub-regional space and the suspension of trade other than basic necessities.  

In addition, the West African organization decided on Friday to sanction Guinea if it did not present an "acceptable timetable for the transition" before the end of April 2022, and Burkina Faso if it did not release former President Roch Marc. Christian Kaboré by March 31, 2022, according to the final press release from the meeting of ECOWAS heads of state. 

The organization specifies that in the event of non-compliance with its demands, it will impose sanctions against the members of the government and the National Transitional Council (CNT).

Burkina's transitional authorities will also receive "individual sanctions" if they do not comply. 

In September, shortly after the coup in Guinea and the dismissal of President Alpha Condé, ECOWAS had already decided to freeze the financial assets of members of the junta and members of their families. 

Return power to civilians

Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, countries plagued by political but also security crises for the first two, have all three been the scene of military coups since August 2020. Mali has even experienced two putschs. 

ECOWAS is pressuring ruling juntas to quickly return power to civilians.

It suspended the three countries from its instances. 

The sanctions in Mali have been maintained despite an order issued on Thursday by the Court of Justice of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UMEOA), requiring the suspension of the sanctions. 

They are also maintained despite the approach of Ramadan and the hope of a gesture of appeasement that would have affected trade and prices on the eve of a period of increased consumption. 

The UEMOA decision represented a rare success for the junta. 

The potential impact of these sanctions on a poor, landlocked country has sparked deep concern, but also widespread resentment, beyond Mali, against regional organizations. 

No progress on schedule 

West African leaders met again on Friday in Accra, a week after the failure of an agreement with the Malian junta on a timetable for the return of civilians to power in this country plunged for 10 years in a deep security crisis. and politics. 

The ECOWAS mediator in the Malian crisis, Goodluck Jonathan, former president of Nigeria, left Bamako empty-handed. 

ECOWAS has, to date, requested the organization of elections within 12 to 16 months in Mali.

During Goodluck Jonathan's visit to the Malian capital from March 18 to 20, the junta said it had reduced from four to two years the time deemed necessary by the junta to lead the country before returning power to civilians.  

For Guinea, where the military took power in September 2021, ECOWAS expressed "serious concerns" about the length of the transition, noting that "the six-month timetable for holding elections was not respected". 

For Burkina Faso, ECOWAS again condemned the January 2022 coup. 

With AFP 

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