Accra, 11 January 2022 (TDI): The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed stringent sanctions on Mali after the reigning interim government stalled the transfer of power from a military to a civilian government.
The military officers in Mali seized power and took control of elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s government in a coup d’état on the 18th of August, 2020. Another coup was staged seven months later to take control of the interim government.
New elections were to be held by February, promising a return to a civilian government.
This election was pushed back to 2026 by Colonel Assimi Goita, the mastermind behind the coup, citing security concerns.
The 15 leaders of the ECOWAS met in Accra, the capital of Ghana where they decided to levy strict sanctions on the non-compliant state. These sanctions include sealing all land and air borders with the country.
Malian assets in the ECOWAS central bank were frozen. Additionally, all non-essential services to the country were also halted. Furthermore, the regional monetary union, Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) seized operations with all financial institutions of Mali.
Last month a conference centered around the reforms in Mali ended with the government stating that a transfer of power could happen anytime between six months and five years beginning January 2022.
ECOWAS indicated that they found the timeline completely unacceptable. And asked the Malian government to revise its timeline.
Consequently, the Malian government returned with a new four-year transition timeline, which was once again met with a less than stellar response by the ECOWAS.
“Mali’s counter-proposal is for a four-year transition. It’s a joke,” -Senior official from Ghana, who holds an ECOWAS chair.
In response to the sanctions, the Mali junta indicated that it strongly condemned the inhuman and illegal sanctions.
The military leaders of Mali said the countries involved in the sanctions of being “exploited by extra-regional powers with ulterior motives.”
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