ECOWAS imposes sanctions on Malian transitional authorities

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday imposed sanctions on the Malian transitional authorities in response to their claim of inability to meet the transition deadline of February 2022 for holding elections.

A communique, issued after the Third Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on the political situations in Mali and Guinea, said the sanctions include a travel ban and a freeze on financial assets.

“ECOWAS decides to impose sanctions with immediate effect against individuals and groups who have been identified, including the entire members of the transition authorities, their families, and the other transition institutions,” added the communique read by Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, president of the ECOWAS Commission.

The communique further instructed the ECOWAS Commission president “to consider and propose additional sanctions at its next ordinary session in December, should the situation persist.”

ECOWAS further urged the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, and the bilateral and other multilateral partners to endorse and enforce these sanctions.

“The ECOWAS authority condemns the expulsion of the ECOWAS Permanent Representative to Mali in this critical context and calls on the transitional authorities to uphold the spirit of dialogue and collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission to ensure a successful transition,” it added.

ECOWAS suspended Mali’s membership following an impasse within the transitional government in May. 

Xinhua