ECOWAS lifts sanctions on three junta-led states: summary

What we know

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that sanctions on Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have been lifted. The decision, made during an extraordinary session of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Abuja, was based on the importance of maintaining regional unity and security.
• The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, explained that the authority considered factors such as the period of Lent and the upcoming month of Ramadan, acknowledging their impact on citizens of the breakaway states.
• ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray mentioned that certain targeted and political sanctions still apply to Niger but did not provide detailed information on the specifics.
• The bloc also announced the removal of specific sanctions on the junta-led Guinea. While Guinea has not expressed a desire to exit ECOWAS, the West African state along with the other junta-led states, has not committed to a clear timeline for a return to democratic governance.
• Pleas from prominent leaders, including former Nigerian President and retired General, Yakubu Gowon, were taken into account during the decision-making process.
• The measures imposed on the three junta-led nations included border closures, the freezing of central bank and state assets, and the suspension of commercial transactions.

What they said

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, said, “The authority takes note that the withdrawal will have political, social, socio-economic, financial, and institutional implications for the three countries as well as for ECOWAS as a region. The authority recalls that within the framework of regional cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism, and organised crime, the three countries benefited from about 100 million US dollars mobilised by UMR within the context of the ECOWAS plan of action against terrorism. Moreover, some funds, about 7.5 million US dollars, are being allocated towards supporting the three countries in acquiring equipment to help their fight against terrorism." He added that “the withdrawal will affect security cooperation in terms of sharing intelligence and participation in regional counterterrorism initiatives. Such as the Accra initiative and the Multinational Joint Task Force.” He further noted that such actions “will automatically affect the immigration status of the citizens, as they may be required to obtain visas to travel around the region. Citizens may no longer be able to reside or set up businesses under an ECOWAS arrangement and may be subject to diverse national laws.”