ECOWAS imposes graduated sanctions on Guinea
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at an extraordinary session on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2022, imposed gradual sanctions on Guinea at the diplomatic, economic and financial levels.
A final communiqué issued at the end of the session said ECOWAS decided that member-states should recall their ambassadors accredited to the Republic of Guinea for consultations.
They also decided to suspend all assistance and financial transactions in favour of Guinea by ECOWAS financial institutions, notably EBID.
It further stressed that targeted sanctions against individuals and groups of individuals listed in Decision MSC. A/DEC 4/09/2022, including members of the other transitional institutions and any other person seeking to prevent the return to constitutional order in Guinea within a reasonable time.
The sanctions include a freeze on financial assets and a travel ban. "These sanctions have been taken in order to facilitate the process of a rapid return to constitutional order in Guinea, a prerequisite for peace, stability and development," ECOWAS stressed.
The Conference urges all the institutions of the Community to take measures to ensure the immediate implementation of these sanctions and called on the African Union, the United Nations and other partner organizations to support the implementation of these sanctions and to continue to provide their support to Guinea for the success of the political transition.
The Assembly requested the Guinean authorities to accept within a period of one month, starting from 22 September 2022, a reasonable transition period acceptable to ECOWAS, under pain of more severe sanctions.
The Conference considered the memorandum presented by the President of the ECOWAS Commission on the 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Mali.
Following in-depth discussions, the Heads of State and Government noted with regret the continued incarceration of the remaining 46 soldiers, despite all the mediation efforts undertaken by the region.
It strongly condemned the continued incarceration of the Ivorian soldiers, and denounced the blackmail exercised by the Malian authorities in this matter.
ECOWAS is calling for the unconditional release of the 46 soldiers detained in Mali and has decided to send a high-level mission composed of the Heads of State of Ghana, Senegal and Togo to secure the release of the Ivorian soldiers.
-0- PANA TNDD/JSG/BBA/RA 23Sept2022
