Africa Watch丨 Political complexity and inability to deliver on commitments The Western Community imposed sanctions on the Transitional Government of Mali

Source: CCTV news client

On November 7, local time, leaders and representatives of the countries and governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a special summit in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to discuss the situation in Mali and decided to impose sanctions on the Transitional Government of Mali. Why did ECOWAS, Africa's largest regional economic cooperation organization, sanction its member the Transitional Government of Mali?

The Transitional Government of Mali has been unable to deliver on its commitment to complete the political transition and elections within the established deadlines

The third special summit on the situation in Mali and Guinea was held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on the 7th, and the presidents of Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Senegal, the Vice-Presidents of Benin and Nigeria, and the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso attended the meeting, and the Governments of the Gambia, Liberia, Togo, Cape Verde and Sierra Leone sent ministers or their ambassadors to Ghana to attend.

A communiqué issued after the summit said that the Transitional Government of Mali would not be able to complete the political transition and hold elections by February 2022, THE WESTERN COMMONO decided to impose sanctions on all members of the Transitional Government of Mali and their families, as well as other transitional institutions, including the implementation of a travel ban and a freezing of assets, according to a communiqué issued after the summit. If the current situation in Mali continues, further sanctions will be considered and recommended at the ECOWAS Executive Summit on 12 December this year.

In its communiqué, ECOWAS called on the African Union, the United Nations and bilateral and other multilateral partners, among others, to support the implementation of those sanctions, while condemning the expulsion of the REPRESENTATIVE OF ECOWAS in Mali by the Transitional Government of Mali and calling on it to uphold the spirit of dialogue and cooperation with the ECOWAS Commission in order to ensure a successful transition. The communiqué reaffirmed the need for member States to comply with all THE NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK OF ECOWAS, in particular the SWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. The communiqué also expressed its continued concern about the deteriorating security situation exacerbated by political instability in Mali, called on the Transitional Government of Mali to intensify its efforts to improve the security situation in the country, called on neighbouring countries to strengthen their security presence on their border with Mali, and instructed the ECOWAS Commission to deepen ongoing discussions with the AU Commission with a view to strengthening the security situation in the Sahel region, among other things.

Mali's political intricacies have continued to be volatile since the overthrow of President Keita in August 2020

In August 2020, Malian soldiers mutinied and detained then-President Keita and Prime Minister Cissé, among others, after which Keita was forced to resign and dissolve parliament and government. With widespread condemnation from the international community and the strong good offices of ECOWAS, The former Minister of Defence and Veterans of Mali, Ndo, was appointed Transitional President in September of that year, and Goita, Chairman of the National People's Redemption Committee established by the coup d'état soldiers, was appointed Transitional Vice-President, ushering in an 18-month political transition period.

On 24 May 2021, Endor announced the composition of a new transitional government, but two former members of the National People's Salvation Committee were not included. Subsequently, Endor and then Transitional Prime Minister Vané were taken by the military to a military barracks about 15 kilometers from the capital Bamako to "communicate" on the list of the new transitional government. On the 26th of the same month, the Malian military said that Endo and Vanne had resigned on the same day. The Constitutional Court of Mali subsequently announced that Goita would take over the post of Transitional President for a term ending mali's political transition period. On 30 May, ECOWAS decided to suspend Mali's membership until it restored democratic order.

On 25 October, the Transitional Government of Mali issued a proclamation announcing the expulsion of the ECOWAS special representative in the country, saying that he had been deemed "undesirable" by the Government for "actions incompatible with his identity" and asking him to leave the country within 72 hours. The announcement said the Transitional Government of Mali remained open to dialogue with ECOWAS. The day before, the United Nations sent a delegation to Mali and urged the transitional government to hold democratic elections as scheduled in February 2022.

The situation in Guinea is also the focus of the ECOWAS Special Summit

A military coup d'état took place in Guinea, a member of the Western Community, on September 5, 2021, in which the military detained President Conte and dissolved the government. ON 8 September, ECOWAS announced its decision to suspend Guinea's membership and on 16 September imposed sanctions on the leaders of guinean coup soldiers, members of the National Committee for Solidarity and Development and their relatives. On 27 September, the National Commission for Solidarity and Development, set up by guinean coup soldiers, unveiled a transitional charter that would guide the restoration of constitutional order after the coup. Under the Charter, Mamadi Tunbuya, the military leader of the Guinean coup d'état, will serve as Transitional President, while forming a Transitional Government headed by the Prime Minister and an 81-member National Transitional Council.

In its communiqué on the third special summit on the situation in Mali and Guinea, issued on 7 November, ECOWAS reiterated its demand for the unconditional release of President Conte of Guinea and expressed its attention to recent developments in Guinea, in particular the adoption of the Transitional Charter, the appointment of a civilian Prime Minister and the formation of a Transitional Government. The communiqué urges the Guinea Transitional Authority to urgently submit a detailed timetable for the three activities to be carried out during the electoral transition period, in accordance with the decision of the Ad Hoc Summit of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to be held on 16 September 2021. Decides to continue the suspension of Guinea's positions in all the governing bodies of THE WESTERN Community pending the restoration of constitutional order and to maintain the travel ban and financial asset freeze imposed on members of the National Committee for Unity and Development and their families.

Founded on 28 May 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is the largest regional economic cooperation organization in Africa, with a total area of 5.11 million square kilometers, accounting for more than 1/6 of the total area of Africa, with a population of about 320 million, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the total population of Africa. Far from being in the economic sphere, THE ROLE OF ECOWAS is often an important role as a mediator in regional politics and security. (Reporter Wang Xinjun)