ECOWAS announces “escalating sanctions” against Guinea’s military junta
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At an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States held on Thursday evening, 22 September in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the leaders of West African countries decided to take the decision ” graduated penalties Against the military junta in Guinea in the face of the army’s hardening in setting a date for the return of civilians to power. On the initiative of the Presidency of Guinea-Bissau, they also decided to send a mission to Bamako to meet with the Malian authorities.
three hours Behind the heavy closed doors of the New York Convention Center And at the end a brief statement: It was the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Gambian Omar Aliou Toray, who made it in front of the journalists, while the heads of state and ministers left the building without a word and with three empty chairs, they suspended the membership of Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea, Our special correspondent in New York reports, Leonard Vincent.
The conclusion of the extraordinary summit, he said, lies in two points. First of all,” We have decided to impose sanctions on Guinea announced the President of the ECOWAS Commission. According to a document summarizing this meeting of heads of state, Cessation of progressive sanctions against individuals and against the Guinean military junta “.” Soon, the current ECOWAS President and ECOWAS Commission Chairperson will draw up a list of people who will be sanctioned and gradually implement these sanctions. According to this text.
The second point, reaffirming the principle: Inversions are not acceptable in the ECOWAS space Saeed Omar Ali Toray. He added that heads of state have always called for a transitional period. Acceptable “, Than Not the case today :
Omar Aliou Toray, chair of the organization’s committee on sanctions against Conakry, sums up, “ECOWAS is firmly against coups, it is unacceptable.”
was talking” sincere “And unanimity is built” with conviction Explanation of Omar Ali Toray. Differences in approach were expressed, says a diplomat, regarding the nature of the sanctions against Guinea: heavy ” where ” gradual According to the points of view.
” high level mission »About Bamako and the detained Ivorian soldiers
As for Mali, a diplomatic approach was agreed upon: high level mission Composed of the presidents of Togo, Senegal and Ghana, they will go to Bamako. very soon According to the head of the authority.
All the heads of state of the region, the specified Omar Ali Al-Turay, agree to the request for release.” Immediate and unconditional » Among 46 Côte d’Ivoire soldiers being held in the country Since July 10.
Of course, Number 1 in the Malian junta can hold his own, but he’d better think twice before slamming the door in his face, analyzes our special correspondent in New York, Christophe Boisbuffer. Macky Sall is the current head of the African Union and is one of the few African heads of state still speaking on the phone with the leader of the financial coup. And Faure Gnassingbé is the head of state most suited to Bamako.
If Colonel Guetta refuses to open the door to them on Tuesday, he will isolate himself forever and will undoubtedly expose himself to new economic and monetary sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
A member of the Ivorian delegation snuck into the RFI, saying: “Mali must not forget that Côte d’Ivoire provides 20% of its electricity needs while owing us about 40 billion CFA francs in unpaid electricity bills. Next Tuesday, this will be the last mission in Mali before Entering into a difficult struggle as Côte d’Ivoire no longer gives gifts to its financial neighbour.
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