Johannesburg, Jan 10, (dpa/GNA) – The Malian government slammed regional sanctions, imposed after the ruling military junta failed to bring forward elections to introduce democratic rule, as “illegal” on Monday.
Not only that, Mali sought to pre-empt the border closures by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by closing its own borders.
The ECOWAS measures mean Mali’s borders with member countries are closed, non-vital trade relations are frozen and all of Mali’s financial resources are frozen at the ECOWAS Central Bank.
Furthermore, all ambassadors from the group of states are to be withdrawn from Mali’s capital, Bamako, in a decision made after ECOWAS members met on Sunday.
ECOWAS has also activated a standby force “just in case” it is needed.
The ECOWAS members also expressed disappointment at the interim government’s announcement that it would not hold new elections for another four years, instead of next month as originally planned.
In May 2021, the military ousted the transitional government, which was supposed to be in office until elections at the end of February.
Mali has seen three military coups since 2012 and is considered highly unstable. Thousands of foreign forces, including those from France and Germany, are currently involved in peacekeeping and training missions there.
The interim government recently admitted that it had let Russian military instructors into the country, saying it had given them the same mandate as the EU training mission EUTM.
Germany, France, Britain and other countries had accused Mali of hiring mercenaries from the Russian company Wagner to boost security, which Mali’s interim government has repeatedly denied.
GNA