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) imposed economic and diplomatic sanctions on Mali after the country’s ruling military government delayed elections by five years. Leaders of the 15-member ECOWAS decided at an Extraordinary Summit on Sunday in Accra, Ghana to  impose additional  sanctions on Mali.  The session was under the chairmanship of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority.  The Summit was called to discuss a proposal from Mali’s transitional authorities to hold elections in December 2025 instead of next month as originally agreed. ECOWAS said in a communique the bloc strongly rejects a delay in elections as far as five years as being “totally unacceptable.”    The additional sanctions, with immediate effect , include the closure of members’ land and air borders with Mali, the suspension of non-essential financial transactions, recall for consultations by ECOWAS Member States of their Ambassadors accredited to Mali and the freezing of Malian state assets in ECOWAS central and commercial banks.

“The Authority finds the proposed calendar for a transition totally unacceptable. This calendar simply means that an illegitimate military transition Government will take the Malian people hostage during the next five years. The Authority reiterates its call for the transition authorities to focus on activities geared towards an expeditious return to constitutional order and to defer key reforms within legitimate elected institutions to be established after the elections. The Authority deeply deplores the obvious and blatant lack of political will from the Transition authorities that led to the absence of any tangible progress in the preparations for the elections, despite the willingness of ECOWAS and all regional and international partners to support Mali in this process.”

-ECOWAS Authority

In August 2020, army officers led by Colonel Assimi Goita  forced out the  elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.  Facing international outrage and facing threat of sanctions, Goita subsequently promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legislative elections. ECOWAS has steadfastly called for elections to be held in February. 

ECOWAS said the sanctions have been put in place to facilitate the process of a return to constitutional order in Mali which is necessary for peace, stability and growth. By excluding essential basic goods and services, the sanctions have been designed to avoid impact on the population, according to ECOWAS. The African bloc also said it condemns arrest and imprisonment of several Malian political players. 

“The Authority strongly condemns the continued arrest and imprisonment of Malian Political personalities and former dignitaries by the Transition Authorities and demands that their cases be handled in line with the rule of law and respect of human rights.”

The underlisted Heads of State and Government participated in the Extraordinary Summit or their duly mandated representatives:

H. E. Patrice TALON, President of the Republic of Benin

H.E. Roch Marc Christian KABORE, President of Burkina Faso

H.E. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire

H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana

H. E. Umaro Sissoco EMBALO, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau

H.E. George Manneh WEAH, President of the Republic of Liberia

H.E. Mohamed BAZOUM, President of the Republic of Niger

H. E. Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal

H.E. Julius Maada BIO, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone

H.E. Dr Isatou TOURAY, Vice-President of the Republic of The Gambia

H.E. Yemi OSINBAJO, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 

H.E. Robert DUSSEY, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and
Togolese Abroad of the Togolese Republic 

H.E. Belarmino Monteiro SILVA, Ambassador of the Republic of Cabo
Verde to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Session was also attended by
H.E. Dr Goodluck JONATHAN, Former President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and ECOWAS Mediator for Mali;
H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, President of the ECOWAS Commission;
H.E. Mahamat Saleh ANNADIF, Special Representative of the United Nations
Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS);
H.E. Abdoulaye DIOP, President of West African Economic and Monetary
Union (WAEMU)

H.E. Bankole ADEOYE, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and
Security, Representing the Chairperson of the African Union Commission

Mr. El-Ghassim WANE, Head of the United Nations Multidimensional
Integrated Stablilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).