ECOWAS lifts travel, economic sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has lifted travel and economic sanctions against Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The decision was announced on Saturday in Abuja by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, at the end of an Extraordinary Summit on the Political, Peace and Security situation in the Republic of Niger.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on the four countries following the coups that ousted their democratically elected governments.

Consequently, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their exit from ECOWAS.

Therefore, following the decision of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States today to lift the sanctions on the four countries, the closure of land and air borders to Niger and a no-fly zone of all commercial flights is suspended. 

Also, the freezing of all financial transactions between ECOWAS states and Niger, including transactions relating to the bloc’s central bank, is removed and the unfreezing of all of Niger’s assets at the EBID. 

The travel ban on members of Niger’s military junta and their families is lifted. The restriction on elections of Malians to ECOWAS positions was quashed, and the commercial sanctions on Guinea.

Lastly, the representatives of the four countries can now attend technical consultative meetings of ECOWAS.