The Economic Community of West-African States, ECOWAS, on Saturday lifted Economic sanctions placed on some members states namely Niger, Guinea, Burkina Fasso and Mali.
It can be recalled that ECOWAS placed sanctions on the countries in response to Military coups that occurred in those countries.
In response, the three nations, however, in a joint statement issued by their military leaders, Captain Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso), Colonel Assimi Goita (Mali), and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani (Niger Republic) on January 28, 2023, announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS.
Rising from a meeting at the state house on Saturday, after extensive discussions on the political, peace, and security situation in the region, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government agreed to lift the sanctions.
Below are the economic sanctions lifted:
1. ECOWAS lifted the travel ban on members of the military junta and their families.
2. It lifted the freezing of all financial transactions between ECOWAS states and Niger, including transactions relating to the bloc’s central bank and the unfreezing of all of Niger’s assets at EBID.
3. It also suspended the travel ban on members of the military junta and their families.
4. It suspended sanctions on the election of Mali citizens to ECOWAS positions.
5. It lifted sanctions on Guinea, inviting all four countries to attend technical consultative meetings of ECOWAS going forward.
6. It suspended the closure of borders, including land and air, between the Niger Republic and ECOWAS.
7. It urged its withdrawing member states to reconsider their decision in view of the benefits enjoyed by their citizens.