ECOWAS lifts sanctions on Niger, Mali, Guinea

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided to ease certain sanctions imposed on Niger Republic, Mali, and Guinea.

The decision was reached during an extraordinary summit addressing peace, political, and security issues within the ECOWAS sub-region in Abuja on Saturday.

Although political and specific sanctions on Niger Republic are to be maintained, ECOWAS has opted to remove certain financial and economic sanctions on Guinea.

Additionally, targeted sanctions on Mali have been lifted as part of this resolution.

During the meeting, President Bola Tinubu told the bloc that only through effective collaboration, can ECOWAS surmount the challenges confronting the sub-region and chart a course towards a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future.

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso  announced their exit from the ECOWAS as members in January.

The three countries also cut military and cooperation ties with former colonial master France and turned to Russia for security support.

Before now, there have been calls from different stakeholders on the need for ECOWAS to lift the sanctions on the three countries.

One of the stakeholders is Nigeria’s former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon who expressed displeasure over recent political developments and urged all and sundry to restore the peaceful environment the body had enjoyed over the years.

A civil society organization, CISLAC, had also called on the authorities of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to rescind their decisions to withdraw from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) for the peace and progress of the region.

SOURCE: Radio Nigeria