ECOWAS Reaffirms Suspension Of Burkina Faso

The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments has reaffirmed the suspension of Burkina Faso from all the institutions of the Bloc and requested the unconditional and immediate release of President Christian Marc Kabore.

It also requested the Burkinabe military junta, who, after the January 24, 2022 coup indicated that they would only return the country to constitutional rule “when the conditions are right,” to propose an acceptable timetable for the restoration of democracy to that country.

ECOWAS President Jean Claude Kassi Brou, briefing the media after the Bloc's extraordinary meeting in Accra on Thursday, said the Heads of States also condemned the attempted coup in Guinea Bissau, and pledged their full support for President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who survived a five-hour siege by gunmen.

The Authority also agreed to send a stabilization force to Guinea Bissau, which would be done rapidly.

On Mali, the ECOWAS leaders regretted there was no acceptable timetable for elections and called on the transitional authority to present an acceptable timetable to allow for a gradual lifting of sanctions.

They made a commitment not to allow the resurgence of coups in the region, and emphasised that unconstitutional overthrow of governments must stop before it created problems for the region.