ECOWAS
ECOWAS lifts some economic sanctions on Niger, others
Some economic sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Niger Republic, Mali and Guinea have been lifted.
The ECOWAS took tbe resolution at the extraordinary summit on the peace, political, and security situation in the ECOWAS sub-region in Abuja on Saturday.
ECOWAS maintained that it only lifted some financial and economic sanctions on Guinea and other sanctions on Mali, while the political sanctions targetted at the junta in those remain.
ECOWAS had imposed the both economic and political sanctions in the countries following the military coups that took place then.
But reading the communique after the emergency ECOWAS summit on Saturday, ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, confirmed that some of the sanctions the Authority have been lifted.
These sanctions include the closure of land and air borders between all ECOWAS countries and Niger Republic; no flight zone to all commercial flights to and from the Niger Republic, suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger Republic and freezing of all service transactions including utility services.
Other sanctions on Niger lifted are the freezing of assets of Niger Republic in all ECOWAS Central banks; freezing of assets of Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks; suspension of Niger Republic from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions lifted and travel bans on the military officials and their families involved in the coup attempt.
Touray said the decision by ECOWAS is based on humanitarian considerations especially “as we are in the month of Lent and as we prepare for the holy month of Ramadan”.
He noted that the authority also resolved to lift the sanctions regarding the recruitment of Malian citizens in statutory and professional positions within ECOWAS as well as lifting financial and economic sanctions on the Republic of Guinea.
The ECOWAS President added that he has been instructed by the Commission to invite Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Guinea to attend the technical and consultative meetings of ECOWAS as well as all security-related meetings.
ECOWAS directed all its institutions, member states, and other regional institutions to implement these decisions.