PBA ReporterMember states representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on Mali.
Prime Business Africa can report that the ECOWAS took the decision following the political crisis that has engulfed the country.
Among the latest sanctions to be implemented against the country, including withdrawal of all ECOWAS Ambassadors in Mali, closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali; suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Mali, with the exception of the following products: essential consumer goods; pharmaceutical products; medical supplies and equipment, including materials for the control of COVID-19 products, and electricity
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOther punitive measures against the military junta involves freezing of assets of Mali in ECOWAS Central Banks; freezing assets of the Malian State and the State Enterprises and Parastatals in Commercial Banks, as well as suspension of Mali from all financial assistance and transactions from financial institutions.
Prime Business Africa earlier reported that President Yemi Osinbajo, represented his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari at the Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which was held in Accra, Ghana on Sunday.
Osinbajo said ECOWAS has resolved never to accept Coups de’tats; or unconstitutional take over of government of any member country.
According to him, “it’s very evident that there is very strong resolve, which is why we are here today. We expect that the actions that will be taken will point the junta in Mali in the right direction.”
“I think ECOWAS has shown that it has not lost its bite where there are concerns about issues of good governance and democratic enterprises in the sub-region, which is why sanctions against Guinea and Mali were imposed.”
Recall, the political crisis in Mali took a different turn in August 2020 when the military seized power from President Ibrahim Keita. After the coup, the country instituted a political transition with a timeline of 18 months from September 15, 2021.
Bah N’Daw, Mali’s former defence minister, was named president of the country’s new transitional government, while Assimi Goita, leader of the military junta, was named vice-president. They were appointed to oversee the transition period.
But in June 2021, there was another coup led by Goita, who accused the interim president and the then Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of trying to sabotage the country’s transition. Two days after seizing power from N’Daw, Goita declared himself president.
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