In a significant move towards re-engagement with the military regimes in the Sahel region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has lifted financial and economic sanctions against Guinea and eased restrictions on Malian citizens for ECOWAS positions. However, Burkina Faso, another state under military rule since 2020 and subject to ECOWAS sanctions, was not addressed.
The announcement came on Sunday, February 25, following an extraordinary summit convened by ECOWAS the previous day. The summit’s agenda included discussions on political stability, peace, and security in Niger, along with other regional developments. The decision to lift sanctions against Guinea and Mali was not explicitly mentioned in the final address by Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Guinea had been under ECOWAS financial sanctions since Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya overthrew President Alpha Condé in September 2021. The junta leader recently dissolved the government that had been in place since July 2022.
Mali, which underwent two coups in 2020 and 2021, also saw its ECOWAS-imposed economic and financial sanctions lifted in July 2022, following the announcement of a transition timetable by the ruling junta.
In a significant development, ECOWAS decided to lift the most severe sanctions imposed on Niger, following the military coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July. This decision was announced by Mr. Alieu Touray on Saturday afternoon.
These decisions by ECOWAS signal a move towards resuming dialogue with the military regimes of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. These countries, which have distanced themselves from France and aligned more closely with Russia, declared their intention to exit ECOWAS in January. They have since formed a collective known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
