of Togo H.E. Faure Gnassingbe, President of Burkina Faso H.E. Roch
Marc Kabore, President of Guinea Conakry H.E. Alpha Conde and
President of Gambia H.E. Adama Barrow during the 55th Ordinary
Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the
ECOWAS in Abuja on 21st Dec 2019
The West Africa bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday condemned a
military putsch in Mali and pledged a range of retaliatory actions,
including financial sanctions.
Rebel soldiers arrested Mali’s President Ibrahim
Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse on Tuesday
afternoon following weeks of political tension in the country.
The dramatic move followed the seizure of an army base near the
capital Bamako that morning.
In a statement, the Economic Community for West African States
said that its members would close land and air borders to Mali and
pledged to demand sanctions against “all the putschists and their
partners and collaborators”.
The 15-nation bloc — which includes Mali — also said that it
would suspend the country from its internal decision-making
bodies.
“ECOWAS has noted with great concern the seizure of power by
Malian military putschists,” said the statement, which was
originally published in French.
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Mali has been in the grip of a deep political impasse since
June, with President Keita facing increasingly strident
demands for his resignation.
The opposition June 5 Movement, named for the date of its first
protest, has been channelling deep anger over a dire economy,
perceived government corruption and a brutal jihadist conflict.
The opposition alliance’s anti-Keita campaign veered into
crisis last month when at least 11 people were killed over three
days of unrest that followed a protest.
In an effort to avoid chaos in notoriously unstable Mali, ECOWAS
then stepped in to mediate.
The bloc suggested the formation of a unity government and other
measures late last month, but stuck by Keita.
But the June 5 Movement has repeatedly spurned compromise
proposals, and has continued to demand Keita’s departure.
The political opposition declared a new phase of anti-government
rallies on Monday.
Keita, 75, is currently being held by rebel soldiers outside of
the capital.
AFP
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/08/19/ecowas-suspends-mali-over-coup-imposes-sanctions/