The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has rejected a joint request by Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso to lift sanctions imposed on them and their suspension from membership of the organisation following military takeover of governments in the three countries.
Officials of the three countries met in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital recently and agreed to strengthen partnerships among the three embattled nations.
Also Read: China builds new ECOWAS building in Abuja
This was shortly after the military government in Burkina Faso expelled the French Ambassador in Ouagadougou following Mali’s example last year in what observers see as growing anti-French sentiments in its former African colonies.
The foreign Ministers of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso had travelled to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on a joint diplomatic push for the readmission of their three countries by the African Union and ECOWAS, and the lifting of sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, including a freeze on financial credits and limited contacts with other members of the 15-nation community.
In addition to rejecting their requests, the ECOWAS summit also called on the African Union, the United Nations and other international partners to support the implementation of ECOWAS decisions on the three countries, following delayed political transition programmes including elections for the restoration of constitutional order.
ECOWAS leaders also agreed in principle to support transition programmes and efforts to ease the humanitarian crises in the three countries, but “totally reject the unilateral action taken by the Transitional Authority in Guinea with respect to the implementation of the transition roadmap.”
In response to the pervasive insecurity in the Sahel and the ECOWAS region characterised by terrorism and deadly attacks by Islamic Jihadist and separatist armed groups, the leaders called on the President of the ECOWAS Commission to engage with member-states to agree on the modalities for mobilisation of $1 billion mandatory contributions towards counter-terrorism efforts under the 2020-24 Plan of Action.
They also reiterated their concerns over the flow of illicit arms and ammunition, including improvised explosive devices and unmanned aerial vehicles, into the region, which enable violent extremists and terrorists and other armed groups to control large swathe of territory and terrorise communities.”
On the establishment of a regional force against terrorism and for the restoration of constitutional order, the leaders urged the President of the ECOWAS Commission to work with the affected member-states on the outcome of the recent extraordinary meeting of the Regional Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and Chiefs of Intelligence on the way forward.
The communique also noted the progress made and challenges being encountered in electoral processes in three ECOWAS member states including Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are holding crucial presidential elections this year.
It further called for the urgent review of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance towards strengthening democratic conduct and stability in the region.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
