ECOWAS ‘utterly condemns’ overthrow of Mali’s democratically-elected government

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it utterly condemns the overthrow of Mali’s democratically elected government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita adding that it, “categorically denies any kind of legitimacy to the putschists and demands the immediate reinstatement of the constitutional order.”

 

 

It would be recalled that military officers had since Tuesday mutinied, staging a coup d’etat in Mali after detaining President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at gunpoint, eventually forcing him to resign from office having been in power since September 2013.

ECOWAS said it had noted with great concern the seizure of power by Malian military putschists, adding that the power grab by Malian military putschists was likely to have a negative impact on peace and stability in Mali and in the wider ECOWAS subregion.

In a press statement released Tuesday, the intergovernmental body reminded the Malian military of “their accountability for the safety and security of President Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita and officials arrested” and demanded “the immediate release of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and of all official arrested.”

Consequently, the statement said Mali had been suspended from “all ECOWAS decision-making bodies with immediate effect, as per the Additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and this, until effective reinstatement of the constitutional order.” ECOWAS said it had also 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.”

The subregional body also requested the immediate activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force; the immediate implementation of sanctions against all putschists and their partners and collaborators adding that it was dispatching a high-level delegation to ensure Mali’s immediate return to constitutional order.