The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the lifting of certain sanctions imposed on member nations Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau, all of which are currently under military rule. The decision was made during an extraordinary summit held in Abuja on Saturday, TheCable reports.
The regional bloc’s decision to lift sanctions is a response to ongoing political developments in the affected countries. The military junta took control of Mali in August 2020, followed by Burkina Faso’s democratic government being overthrown by soldiers in September 2022. Similarly, soldiers in the Niger Republic ousted the democratic government in July 2023, prompting ECOWAS to impose sanctions on all three countries.
Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, conveyed the resolution taken at the summit. He explained that while political and targeted sanctions on Niger remain in place, ECOWAS has decided to lift certain financial and economic sanctions on Guinea-Bissau and Mali.
Touray clarified the nature of the sanctions, stating that border closures and commercial sanctions have been lifted, but political sanctions remain in effect for all countries. These political sanctions include restrictions on attending the ECOWAS Summit and ministerial sessions.
He emphasized that the decision to lift sanctions was driven by humanitarian considerations, particularly in light of the approaching Ramadan and the month of Lent.