At an extraordinary summit held in Abuja on Saturday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) made a landmark decision to lift certain sanctions imposed on Niger Republic, Mali, and Guinea. While political and targeted sanctions on Niger remain in place, ECOWAS has eased financial and economic restrictions on Guinea and lifted other sanctions on Mali.
The resolution comes in the wake of the military coup in Niger Republic on July 26, 2023, which led to a series of sanctions being imposed by the regional bloc. ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, announced the lifting of various sanctions, including the closure of borders, flight restrictions, and financial transaction suspensions.
Additionally, travel bans on military officials involved in the coup attempt have been revoked. Touray emphasized that the decision was made with humanitarian considerations in mind, particularly as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.
Furthermore, ECOWAS has invited Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Guinea to participate in technical and consultative meetings, signaling a diplomatic effort to foster regional cooperation.
The directive to implement these decisions has been issued to all ECOWAS institutions, member states, and other regional bodies.
