The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has suspended Mali’s membership from the regional bloc over last week’s coup.
Leaders of the 15-member organisation made the decision after a summit held in, Accra, Ghana, on Sunday.
“The suspension from ECOWAS takes immediate effect until the deadline of the end of February 2022 when they are supposed to hand over to a democratically elected government,” Ghana’s foreign minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, said after the meeting.
While there were no new sanctions imposed on Mali, ECOWAS said authorities must stick to a timetable for a return to democracy.
ECOWAS also did not demand the resignation of the new interim President, Assimi Goïta, who led last Monday’s coup after he declared himself president.
Instead, it called for the immediate nomination of a new civilian prime minister and the formation of an “inclusive government” which must “respect the transition period of 18 months decided in Accra.
“In this context, the date of 27th February 2022 already announced for the presidential election should be absolutely maintained. A monitoring mechanism will be put in place to this effect,” the resolution read further.
ECOWAS demanded the “unconditional release” of all detained men after its summit which had in attendance ten regional heads of state and three foreign ministers, with former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan serving as mediator.
