The Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS has stiffened its stance against military-ruled Guinea and Mali, imposing new individual sanctions and calling on both countries to honour timetables for a return to democracy.
ECOWAS President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou in a recent chat with newsmen after a summit of the 15-nation group in the Ghanaian capital Accra, said the commission “has decided to sanction all those implicated in the delay” in organising elections set for February 27 in Mali.
Brou disclosed that Mali had “officially written” to Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who holds the rotating presidency of ECOWAS, to inform him that the Sahel country could not hold elections as planned.
While noting that “All the transition authorities are concerned by the sanctions which will take immediate effect,” Brou added that the travel bans and assets freezes targeted family members as well.
Also, ECOWAS said it “highly deplores the lack of progress” towards staging elections in Mali.
It should be noted that the situation has raised concerns internationally, prompting a UN Security Council delegation to Mali late last month.
In a statement, Council members “reiterated their call for the Malian transitional authorities to achieve… the handover of power to democratically elected civilian authorities within the agreed timeline”.
It would be recalled that Mali’s junta expelled the ECOWAS special envoy Hamidou Boly from the country on October 26, declaring him “persona non grata”.
ECOWAS has also condemned the expulsion.
In similar vein in Guinea where soldiers seized power on September 5, ECOWAS decided to uphold the country’s suspension from the bloc as well as sanctions against individual junta members and their families.
The commission reiterated its demand for the “unconditional release” of president Alpha Conde, 83, who has been under house arrest since his ouster.
ECOWAS praised the adoption of a “transition charter”, the appointment of a civilian prime minister and the formation of a transitional government. However, it called on the authorities to “urgently submit a detailed timetable… towards the holding of elections” in the country of 13 million people.
It should be noted that Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who overthrew Conde after months of discontent against his government, had promised to restore civilian rule after a transition period of unspecified length.
During its summit in September, ECOWAS demanded that Guinea hold elections within six months. The regional leaders also demanded that the Mali junta adhere “strictly” to that country’s transition timetable.
The commission went ahead to rescind economic sanctions against Mali and its suspension from the organisation when the junta headed by Colonel Assimi Goita pledged a transition of no more than 18 months.
Surprisingly, Goita went on to mount a new coup in May, deposing transitional president Bah Ndaw and his prime minister, Moctar Ouane.
In view of this, ECOWAS suspended Mali once again, but did not apply new sanctions.
It was stated that ECOWAS will hold its next summit in December when it will consider more sanctions “if the situation persists”.
