Meeting on 9 January 2022 in Accra, Ghana, ECOWAS Heads of State issued a number of sanctions against Mali, in particular because of the failure to respect the duration of the transition since the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. The transitional government of General Assimi Goïta intends to extend the duration of the transition while the presidential elections are scheduled for 27 February 2022. Ze-Africanews gives you the decisions taken at the end of the meeting of the Heads of State of ECOWAS.
At the end of the ACCRA meeting, ECOWAS Heads of State decided on sanctions, the contents of which are as follows:
These additional sanctions include:
a) Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali;
b) Suspension of all commercial transactions between ECOWAS countries and
Mali, with the exception of essential consumer goods; pharmaceuticals; medical supplies and equipment, including COVID-19 control equipment; petroleum products and electricity;
c) Freezing of the assets of the Republic of Mali in ECOWAS Central and Commercial Banks;
d) Mali’s suspension of all financial assistance from ECOWAS financial institutions (BIDC and BOAD).
These sanctions will be applied immediately and will remain in force. The sanctions will be progressively lifted only after the finalisation of an acceptable and agreed timetable and the monitoring of satisfactory progress in the implementation of the timetable for the elections.
9. Moreover, given the potentially destabilizing impact on Mali and the region created by this transition in Mali, the Authority decides to immediately activate the Standby Force of ECOWAS, which must be ready for any eventuality.
10. The Conference calls on the African Union, the United Nations and other partners to support the process of implementing these sanctions and to continue to support an acceptable political transition.
11. Despite the denial of the Malian transitional government, the Authority remains deeply concerned by the consistent report on the deployment of private security agents in Mali with its potentially destabilizing impact on the West African region. The Authority notes that this situation is closely linked to the stalled political transition in the country.
12. The Heads of State and Government express their deep gratitude to His Exc. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and President of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, for her leadership in the success of the Summit.
Done at Accra, this 9 January 2022
