The Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of the West African States or ECOWAS announces the lifting of sanctions imposed on the Republic of Mali following the 18 August 2020 military takeover in that country, which led to the arrest and detention of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and some members of his government.
The Heads of States and Government, under the chairmanship of Ghanaian President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo, reached the decision in a Declaration dated 5th October 2020, calling for the immediate release of former officials that were arrested, including military officers.
At the same time, ECOWAS calls for immediate dissolution of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (NCSP) the military junta that executed the Coup d’Etat, which ousted the government of President Keita.
ECOWAS also welcomes the recent nomination and swearing-in of Mr Bah N’Daw as a civilian President and Mr Moctar Ouane as Prime Minister, respectively of the Transition. “The nomination of the President and the Prime Minister of the Transition should lead to the formation of the government”, the Declaration reads.
“Once a civilian-led transition is put in place, ECOWAS will support the Republic of Mali towards the restoration of constitutional order, in line with its relevant Protocol.”
The Declaration recalls that in conformity with Provisions of ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Governance of 2001, the Head of States ad Government took important decisions during Extraordinary Summits on 20 and 28 August and noted that the Coup d’Etat occurred in the context of a social-political crisis after the parliamentary elections of March/April 2020, which took the form of violent protests organized by some political parties, civil society actors and religious groups.
“The Heads of State and Government requested the immediate release of H.E. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and wished him well as he left the country”, the Declaration says, while congratulating Mediator, former president Jonathan Goodluck of Nigeria for progress achieved in the political normalization in Mali. ECOWAS