ECOWAS Suspends Mali Over Twin coups

Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), meeting in a regional summit Sunday, suspended Mali from
the bloc’s institutions after a second coup by the Malian
military.

“The suspension from ECOWAS takes immediate effect until the
deadline of the end of February 2022 when they are supposed to hand
over to a democratically elected government,” Ghana’s Foreign
Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told reporters.

“One of the decisions of the heads of state is that they should
ensure that in the next few days a civilian prime minister is put
in place to form the next government,” she added.

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo hosted the talks in the
Ghanaian capital Accra after Mali’s constitutional court named
Colonel Assimi Goita as the country’s new president.

Goita — who sparked outrage after detaining the country’s
transitional president and prime minister on Monday — arrived in
Accra on Saturday for preliminary talks.

Akufo-Addo kicked off the Sunday summit with the leaders from
the region by stressing the community’s “commitment to a peaceful
transition” while also warning of the “grave consequences” the
political turmoil could have.

What is the role of ECOWAS in Mali’s
transition?
Goita drew widespread criticism for his coup-within-a-coup that
threatened to bring Mali’s planned democratic transition to an
end.

The colonel had assumed the chair of interim vice president
after leading a coup in August last year that removed President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

As interim vice president, he then forced interim President Bah
Ndaw and interim Prime Minister Moctar Ouane to resign. Akufo-Addo
said that this unconstitutional change of government was a
violation of the transition agreement that had been brokered by
ECOWAS.

The agreement stated that the interim vice president cannot
succeed the interim president.

The junta’s takeover has brought the promise to hold democratic
elections in early 2022 into question.

How have foreign leaders responded?
ECOWAS had used sanctions to force the junta to initially agree to
the civilian interim government.

“I reiterate, on behalf of ECOWAS, our continued commitment to
the peaceful transition in Mali with the basic goal of restoring
democratic government and stability in Mali and in our region,” the
Ghanaian president said on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup in an
interview published on Sunday, saying that he “could not stay by
the side of a country where there is no longer democratic
legitimacy or a transition”.

He also warned that he would withdraw the 5,100 French troops
from the country if it takes a turn towards Islamism.

French soldiers have been in the country since 2013 as part of
an operation against Islamist militants.

A suspected jihadist terror attack on Sunday killed four
civilians and a police officer in southern Mali.

Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), meeting in a regional summit Sunday, suspended Mali from
the bloc’s institutions after a second coup by the Malian
military.

“The suspension from ECOWAS takes immediate effect until the
deadline of the end of February 2022 when they are supposed to hand
over to a democratically elected government,” Ghana’s Foreign
Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told reporters.

“One of the decisions of the heads of state is that they should
ensure that in the next few days a civilian prime minister is put
in place to form the next government,” she added.

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo hosted the talks in the
Ghanaian capital Accra after Mali’s constitutional court named
Colonel Assimi Goita as the country’s new president.

Goita — who sparked outrage after detaining the country’s
transitional president and prime minister on Monday — arrived in
Accra on Saturday for preliminary talks.

Akufo-Addo kicked off the Sunday summit with the leaders from
the region by stressing the community’s “commitment to a peaceful
transition” while also warning of the “grave consequences” the
political turmoil could have.

What is the role of ECOWAS in Mali’s
transition?
Goita drew widespread criticism for his coup-within-a-coup that
threatened to bring Mali’s planned democratic transition to an
end.

The colonel had assumed the chair of interim vice president
after leading a coup in August last year that removed President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

As interim vice president, he then forced interim President Bah
Ndaw and interim Prime Minister Moctar Ouane to resign. Akufo-Addo
said that this unconstitutional change of government was a
violation of the transition agreement that had been brokered by
ECOWAS.

The agreement stated that the interim vice president cannot
succeed the interim president.

The junta’s takeover has brought the promise to hold democratic
elections in early 2022 into question.

How have foreign leaders responded?
ECOWAS had used sanctions to force the junta to initially agree to
the civilian interim government.

“I reiterate, on behalf of ECOWAS, our continued commitment to
the peaceful transition in Mali with the basic goal of restoring
democratic government and stability in Mali and in our region,” the
Ghanaian president said on Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup in an
interview published on Sunday, saying that he “could not stay by
the side of a country where there is no longer democratic
legitimacy or a transition”.

He also warned that he would withdraw the 5,100 French troops
from the country if it takes a turn towards Islamism.

French soldiers have been in the country since 2013 as part of
an operation against Islamist militants.

A suspected jihadist terror attack on Sunday killed four
civilians and a police officer in southern Mali.