ACCRA, Ghana
West African leaders on Saturday failed to agree what action to take against military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, postponing a decision until July, said insiders at the meeting.
A decision was put off until
the next summit meeting for The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in
July, one senior source in the Ghanian presidency told AFP, who asked to remain
anonymous.
Another source said the
leaders had not been able to agree, particularly over Mali.
The group had been expected to
decide whether to keep, lighten or lift retaliatory measures on Mali, imposed
in January after its military regime announced an intention to rule for another
five years.
Ghana's
President Nana Akufo Ado opened the summit, attended by the heads of state of
most of the 15-member countries but without any representative from Mali, Burkina
Faso or Guinea visible in the audience.
"This present summit will
re-examine and assess the situations in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso in light
of recent developments within the region and global context," he said.
"Our objective has always
been to find ways to help these countries return to constitutional order."
Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali
are currently suspended from ECOWAS bodies.
While Mali has already been
slapped with sanctions, the other two countries risk further punitive measures
from the bloc after ruling juntas in their respective capitals vowed to hold
onto power for another three years.
West Africa has seen a
succession of military coups in less than two years -- two in Bamako, followed
by Conakry last September and Ouagadougou in January.
ECOWAS, keen to limit political
instability spreading further, has held summits and piled on the pressure to
shorten the juntas' so-called transition periods before a return to civilian
rule.
But strongmen Colonel Assimi
Goita in Mali, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya in Guinea and Lieutenant-Colonel
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in Burkina Faso, have all flouted that pressure and
since been sworn in as presidents.
They invoke the severity of
domestic crises -- that span jihadist insurgency to social problems -- and
claim they need time to rebuild their states and organise elections.
A UN report published last
week said the West African sanctions had contributed to worsening living
conditions, particularly for the poor.
One of the most volatile and
impoverished countries in the world, Mali is battling a decade-old jihadist
revolt, which began with a regional insurrection and then spread to Niger and
Burkina Faso.
ECOWAS closed borders and
suspended trade and financial exchanges, except for basic necessities.
In Guinea, the military
overthrew president Alpha Conde last September and has vowed a return to
civilian rule in three years.
Burkina Faso's government was
overthrown in January, when disgruntled colonels ousted elected president Roch
Marc Christian Kabore. - AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment