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MALI: ECOWAS against coups in West Africa – Osinbajo

January 10, 2022 No Comments

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Sunday the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would not accept forceful takeovers of governments in the sub-region.

Osinbajo stated this during a media briefing after participating at an Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana.

The Vice-President represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting convened by West African leaders to deliberate on the current political crisis in Mali.

He said: “So, I think what is being done is unprecedented; in the years gone by, African Union, then known as Organisation of African Unity, never came down heavily on coup d’etat.

But it is evident now; there is a very strong resolve that the ECOWAS, and indeed the international community, will not accept unconstitutional takeovers of government in the form of coup d’etat and other such unconstitutional means of taking over governments.

“So, it is very evident that there is a very strong resolve which is why we are here today.”

World News

ECOWAS imposes sanctions on Mali over transition programme delay

January 10, 2022 No Comments

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday imposed economic sanctions on Mali over the delay in the country’s transition programme.

The sub-regional body took the decision at its extraordinary summit held in Accra, Ghana.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, ECOWAS described as totally unacceptable the Malian government’s plan to hold elections in 2025.

The member countries insisted that the presidential and parliamentary elections slated for next month must go ahead.

They also agreed to impose sanctions including the closure of land and air borders and suspension of non-essential financial transactions, among others on the landlocked nation with immediate effect.

Mali was thrown into a constitutional crisis in August 2020 following the sack of the country’s President, Ibrahim Keita, in a military coup.

The military junta led by Col. Assimi Goita later detained the President and Prime Minister Boubacar Cisse in a military formation outside the country’s capital, Bamako.

The duo resigned from their positions shortly after their release by the junta.

Backed by ECOWAS, the country put in place an 18-month transition timetable slated to end on September 15 last year.

Politics

ECOWAS sanctions Guinea, Mali army rulers, insists on transition

September 17, 2021 No Comments

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has imposed sanctions including a travel ban and asset freeze on Mali and Guinea’s Army rulers.

The decision was taken by the West African leaders at meeting in, Accra, Ghana, on Thursday, making the sanctions the bloc’s toughest response to a spate of coups in the region.

The ECOWAS sanctions also extend to family members of the junta leaders just the body demanded a quick return to civilian rule in the two countries.

The demand came after a summit of the 15-nation regional group to decide how to respond to the September 5 ouster of Guinean President Alpha Conde, by special forces troops led by Col. Mamady Doumbouya.

At the meeting, the West African leaders also piled more pressure on Mali’s transitional government, demanding they stick to an agreement to organize elections next February.

It announced sanctions on those it said were frustrating efforts for a return to constitutional rule.

In May, Mali junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita staged another coup, deposing a transitional administration in which he was vice president.

He has pledged to stick to the old transition schedule but his government has been accused of dragging its feet on efforts to achieve civilian rule.

Guinea‘s junta was due to hold its last day of consultations on the future of the country in Conakry on Friday.

Politics

Mali ex-president Amadou Toure is dead

November 10, 2020 No Comments

Former Malian President, Amadou Toumani Toure, is dead.

BBC reports that the 72-year-old died in Turkey on Tuesday morning where he was undergoing treatment.

It’s been reported that he had undergone an emergency heart surgery in the capital, Bamako before his departure from Mali.

Toure was Mali’s President from 2002. He led the Sahel nation for 10 years before being deposed by a military coup in March 2012 led by General Amadou Haya Sanogo.

Details later…