Mali: ECOWAS Reacts to Expulsion of Envoy

By Development Diaries
October 28, 2021

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it will continue to support a successful and peaceful democratic transition in Mali despite the expulsion of its envoy by the country’s military junta.

Mali’s transitional government had given the ECOWAS special representative 72 hours to leave the country and declared him persona non grata following actions it claimed were incompatible with his status.

‘This extreme decision comes at an important and delicate period characterised by the support of the political transition in Mali by ECOWAS and other partners in a complex security context’, the regional body said in a communique.

‘It also comes at a time when the process of recalling the representative to the commission was already underway to ensure his replacement under the best possible conditions.

‘The ECOWAS commission remains committed and will continue to deploy its efforts to support a successful and peaceful transition in Mali’.

Mali slid into political turmoil last year, culminating in a coup led by Colonel Assimi Goita against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The military later set up an interim civilian government tasked with steering the country back to democratic rule.

However, Goita overthrew the leaders of that interim government in May 2021, and was later declared interim president, drawing international condemnation.

ECOWAS, West Africa’s main political and economic bloc, has been pressuring Mali’s military junta to hold presidential and legislative elections and return to civilian rule.

ECOWAS had also suspended Mali’s membership and imposed sanctions on the country in a bid to instigate democratic transition.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report that the country’s human rights situation remained fragile amid alleged abuses by armed groups, ethnically allied militias, and government security forces.