In a sudden U-turn, the regional ECOWAS bloc has suspended the economic sanctions imposed on Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea. The decision was taken at a summit in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Saturday. The bloc however said political and targeted sanctions remain intact for the time being…
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has announced the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on the Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea.
The regional body took the decision on Saturday, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, during the extraordinary summit on the political, security, and peace conditions in the ECOWAS sub-region.
Despite the move, the ECOWAS said the political and targeted sanctions on the countries remain intact.
Earlier, Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu appealed to the regional block to end the economic sanctions imposed on the three countries.
He said the sanctions that ECOWAS contemplated might help lead the juntas to the negotiating table have become a harsh stumbling block.
Recall that the three military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the ECOWAS bloc on January 28.
They faulted the ECOWAS for failing to come to their rescue in the fight against insecurity while accusing the bloc of drifting away from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism.
The junta also formed a military alliance to repel a possible attack on them by ECOWAS after military chiefs of the bloc announced that they had agreed on an unannounced day to move against the coup plotters.
