The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday imposed new sanctions against Mali’s transitional leaders after they informed that they would not be able to hold presidential and legislative elections in February, reported France 24.
Mali’s interim government came into power following the military’s overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020. The interim government leaders had promised the West African bloc to oversee an 18-month transition back to democracy after elections in February 2022.
Following a summit in Ghana on Sunday, the ECOWAS said in a statement that the interim authorities had informed it of their inability to meet the transition deadline of February 2022.
The statement said that the newly imposed sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes of all members of the transitional authority as well as certain family members. It added that the 15-nation group would consider additional sanctions in December if no progress is made.
ECOWAS had first imposed sanctions immediately after last year’s coup but lifted them less than two months later after the coup leaders agreed to the 18-month transition. Since then, Colonel Assimi Goita, the leader of the initial coup, staged a second coup in May this year, this time removing the interim president and taking over the position himself.
In related news, ECOWAS has decided to uphold Guinea’s suspension from the bloc as well as sanctions against individual junta members and their families. It also demanded the unconditional release of President Alpha Conde, who has been under house arrest since his ouster.
The bloc praised the adoption of a transition charter, the appointment of a civilian prime minister, and the formation of a transitional government, but it called on the authorities to urgently submit a detailed timetable towards the holding of elections in the country of 13 million people.
