ECOWAS gives Mali until January to release 46 Ivorian soldiers
Gambian diplomat Omar Alieu Touray, new president of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), during the 62nd ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, December 4, 2022. AFP - KOLA SULAIMON
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The 62nd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ended on Sunday evening 4 December.
The organization calls for the release before January 1 of the 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Mali, announces the creation of a regional force to fight against terrorism and to restore constitutional order.
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With our special correspondent in Abuja
,
Serge Daniel
From the start of the meeting, the heads of state of ECOWAS or their representatives discreetly retired to a room in the Nigerian presidency for a full camera.
They took the decision to ask Mali for the release of the 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Bamako for more than 4 months.
And according to our information, it is the Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, mediator in the file, who will go to the Malian capital to get the message across.
#ECOWAS/Abuja Summit: 1- Asks Bko to release the 46 Ivorian soldiers before 1/1/2023 otherwise sanctions. 2- Adoption of a project to create an anti-terrorist and anti-coup force- 3- Aid to Transition Burkina, vigilance in Mali and inclusive dialogue in Guinea.
— Serge Daniel (@sergedanielinfo) December 4, 2022
The Malian, Guinean and Burkina transitions were other topics of discussion.
On Guinea, whose Minister of Foreign Affairs has been very active behind the scenes, the Conference of Heads of State has called for an inclusive dialogue.
If it cannot be held in Conakry, ECOWAS will offer to host the meeting in another capital of the sub-region.
In Burkina, the security and humanitarian situation is worrying.
The sub-regional institution will help this country.
The Malian transition is observed under the magnifying glass, even if progress is noted.
But within ECOWAS, coups do not pass.
A project to create an ECOWAS Regional Force has been adopted.
This force, of which all the contours are not known, will intervene for the restoration of constitutional order and in case of need against terrorism.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, ECOWAS Commission Chairman Omar Alieu Touray, Federal Capital Territory Minister Mohammed Bello, during the inauguration ceremony of the new ECOWAS secretariat, in Abuja, Nigeria December 4, 2022. REUTERS - AFOLABI SOTUNDE
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Faure Gnassingbe