Monrovia – Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) Thursday, suspended Mali from all ECOWAS decision- making bodies with immediate effect in conformity with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, until the effective reinstatement of the constitutional order.
In a virtual extraordinary conference called to discuss the crisis in Mali where soldiers ousted and detained President Keita and members of his cabinet, ECOWAS leaders utterly condemned the attempted overthrow by military Putschists of the democratically elected Government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and has called for Keita’s immediate release, along with his officials.
The body also took a decision to immediately dispatch the High-level Mediation team led by former President Goodluck Jonathan to Mali to ensure an immediate return to constitutional order.
Additionally, the leaders decided to close all land and air borders, as well as to stop all economical, trade and financial flows and transactions between ECOWAS member states and Mali, and encourages all partners to do the same.
During Thursday’s meeting, the leaders deliberateD on the best way to deal with the situation in Mali in line with Ecowas protocols.
Mali has had a turbulent recent history with Tuareg rebels and other extremists groups fighting in the north of the country for greater autonomy, which led to the intervention of a UN peacekeeping mission. Liberian soldiers have served MINUSMA diligently over the years as they help stabilize the country and region.
The body has also decided to be firm in the upholding ECOWAS Principles but flexible in the implementation of sanctions to ensure that the Malian population would not be severely affected and allow for supply of humanitarian needs, such as food, drugs and electricity.
At the same time, the body has decided on the immediate activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force and the Mediation team to report back to the Heads of State in a weeks time.
Mali’s recent turmoil began with a 2012 coup, carried out by soldiers opposed to what they saw as a weak response to a growing separatist insurgency by Tuareg rebels in the country’s north. The insurgents were armed with weapons flowing from nearby Libya following that country’s 2011 civil war.
Keita announced around midnight on Tuesday that he is resigning from his post saying that he does not wish blood to be shed following a military mutiny that plunged the country into a political crisis.
“Today, certain parts of the military have decided that intervention was necessary. Do I really have a choice? Because I do not wish blood to be shed,” Keita said in a brief statement broadcast on national television.
Keita said that he has decided “to give up my duty from now on.”
