ECOWAS Suspends Mali

Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Mali.

Gatekeepers News reports that West African leaders suspended Mali from their regional bloc over the second coup within the space of 9 months.

The suspension was decided at an emergency summit on Sunday in Accra, Ghana’s capital.

Gatekeepers News had reported that Mali’s constitutional court on Friday declared, coup leader Assimi Goita as interim President. Goita who led the coup in August against former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, also ordered the arrest of President Bah Ndaw for not consulting him before reshuffling the cabinet that saw two of Junta officers removed from their post. Ndaw resigned while in detention.

Mali’s neighbours and international powers fear the latest revolt will jeopardise a commitment to hold a presidential election next February and undermine a regional fight against Islamist militants.

ECOWAS, in a communique issued at the end of the summit, said Mali’s membership in the bloc was suspended with immediate effect.

The West African leaders, however, did not announce sanctions like those it imposed after the coup last August and also did not ask Goita to step down.

Instead, the bloc noted that the head of the transition government, the vice president and the prime minister should not under any circumstances be candidates in the planned presidential election.

“The date of 27th February 2022 already announced for the presidential election should be absolutely maintained,” it stressed.