The negotiations between ECOWAS and Mali are deadlocked in a disagreement over the duration of the Malian transition. Meanwhile, Faure Gnassingbé, the president of Togo, has decided to get involved in discussions for a compromise between Bamako and the sub-regional organization.
Since January 9, 2022, Mali has been sanctioned by WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) for not having proposed a "realistic" deadline for the end of the transition. Since then, the negotiations are underway on both sides for lifting the sanctions. These affect not only the Malian people, but also the other countries of the West African sub-region. Missions from ECOWAS and the AU (African Union) have been carried out in Bamako (Mali) in this regard without reaching a compromise. Firstly, Mali opted for five years, later to decide on two years for the end of the transition, while ECOWAS insists on 16 months.
On January 9, 2022 ECOWAS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) held an extraordinary summit in Accra, Ghana, discussing the situation in Mali. During their meeting, the two organizations took economic and financial sanctions against the country for failing to meet the transition deadline. These economic and financial sanctions are, among others: closing of borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali; suspension of all commercial transactions between ECOWAS countries and Mali; freezing of the assets of the Republic of Mali in the Central and Commercial Banks of ECOWAS.
On May 9, the Honorary President of The Democratic Alliance for Peace, Aliou Boubacar Diallo, reacted to the mediation of the Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, to find a compromise between Mali and ECOWAS.
"President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo has accepted the role of mediator for a way out of the crisis in Mali. I welcome this. We can and must be optimistic about the mediation of His Excellency President Faure Gnassingbé. He cooperates with his peers from ECOWAS, the African Union and the Malian Transitional Authorities. An agreement may soon be reached to lift the embargo and sanctions for the greater good of the Malian and African people.
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