Mali condemns economic sanctions, closes land borders

On Sunday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) imposed a raft of economic and diplomatic sanctions in response to Malian military leaders’ desire to push back elections until 2025.
 ECOWAS insisted that Mali hold elections in February. But the government then said it would only set an election date after holding a nationwide conference – arguing a peaceful vote was more important than speed.
 Mali’s military-dominated government has “strongly” condemned “illegal” sanctions imposed on the country by the ECOWAS, adding that it has closed its land borders “with the states concerned”. In August 2020, army officers, led by Colonel Assimi Goita, toppled the elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita amid street protests against his unpopular rule. Under threat of sanctions, Goita subsequently promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legislative elections.
 Faced with the West African embargo, the government said it had made arrangements to ensure normal supplies “by all appropriate means” and called on the population to remain calm.