Credit: ecowas.int/  The Economic Community of West African States, also known as ECOWAS, is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. 

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is demanding the immediate reinstatement to power of Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita who was forced to resign following a military coup.  During an emergency summit of  ECOWAS held Thursday,  leaders of the 15-nation bloc called for the immediate release of Keita was arrested Tuesday along with several other government officials.  The bloc also moved to suspend Mali from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies with immediate effect, in accordance with the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, until the effective restoration of constitutional order.  ECOWAS further decided to close all land and air borders as well as stop all financial, economic and trade flows and transactions between Member States and Mali, except for basic essentials, drugs and other supplies and equipment for the fight against COVID-19, petroleum products and electricity. 

“The attempted coup d’etat also took place in a difficult global context for Mali with terrorist attacks, inter-community tensions in the central part of the country and a health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic along with its economic and financial consequences.”

-ECOWAS  Statement

Credit: ecowas / Leaders of the 15-member state ECOWAS held emergency virtual meeting on the situation in Mali Aug. 20, 2020. 

MALI President Keita  Resigns After Military Coup in West Africa Nation

Credit: Wikipedia /  Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta

Although President Keïta appeared calm when announcing he would resign, ECOWAS said it condemns in the strongest possible terms “the threats and pressure by military putschists on President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to force him to announce his resignation.” 

Anti-government protesters had been holding massive protests calling on President Keïta to resign during the past few months. Protesters accused Keïta of stealing a parliamentary election in March and installing his own candidates .  Last month, Mali’s opposition rejected an ECOWAS call to joint a unity government to end the political crisis. The opposition is distrustful of ECOWAS ability to end the crisis allowing them meaningful influence in the government.  Opposition blames Keita for failing to tackle corruption, an economy on the brink of collapse amid COVID-19, and the country’s eight-year-long jihadist conflict. Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Office called calling for an investigation into use of deadly violence by an elite counter-terrorism force in Mali against anti-government protestors leaving 14 persons killed.