West Africa Bloc ECOWAS beats Mali with sanctions after late voting | Election Issues

The provincial council to close the border with Mali and impose economic sanctions after terrorist leaders suspended the vote.

West Africa’s largest regional bloc is closing the border with Mali and imposing economic sanctions in response to delays in elections promised after the 2020 coup, “the commission said.

Sunday’s announcement followed amazing above of the leaders of the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Ghanaian capital Accra to discuss what Malian government officials want to do in December 2025 instead of next month as previously agreed.

In a statement, ECOWAS said it had found that the timing of the proposed change was not valid.

The plan “simply means that an illegal military transition government will take over the people of Mali,” it said.

The 15-member bloc has agreed to impose additional sanctions in the near future, including the closure of air and air borders with Mali, the suspension of non-essential financial matters, and the suspension of public funds in Mali among ECOWAS. commercial banks.

Meanwhile, UEMOA has ordered all financial institutions under its umbrella to suspend Mali immediately, preventing the country from accessing financial markets.

There was no immediate response from the Malian authorities.

In August 2020, military officers led by Colonel Assimi Goita demolished elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in the midst of street protests against his unpopular rule.

Threatened by sanctions, Goita promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legal elections.

But he made de facto seizure again in May 2021, forcing a temporary government.

The move disrupted the reform process, and was criticized by many.

ECOWAS demanded that Mali hold elections in February.

But the government said it would only set a date for the election if a international conference – arguing for a peace vote was more important than running.

On December 30, after a reform session in Mali, the government proposed a change within six months. five years, effective January 1, 2022.

But ECOWAS mediator Goodluck Jonathan called on the military government to review the plan last week, said Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.

On Saturday, military officials released a new plan, according to a Malaysian television station.

The move was made to “keep negotiations and good relations with ECOWAS”, said Foreign Minister Diop, without elaborating.

“Mali’s ideology is a four-year change. It’s a joke,” said a Ghanaian official, who is chair of ECOWAS.

The return to civilian rule has put the bloc’s loyalty to the line as it seeks to adhere to the basic principles of governance and to maintain regional stability.

Mali’s territories are out of control, and the government is struggling to put an end to the violence that has been raging since 2012.

ECOWAS responded to Goita’s first plan in 2020 by closing Mali’s borders, imposing trade sanctions and suspending the country from its electoral bodies.

The Malian military has set up a civilian-led government in response to a call for elections that have resulted in the abolition of economic sanctions, although Mali is still suspended from the bloc.

ECOWAS did not impose sanctions immediately after the second attack, but in November it decided to crack down on individual militants because of delays in election preparations.