To you, to me! Relations are deteriorating between Mali and the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the question of the return to democracy in Bamako and the return of power to civilians.
On Sunday January 9, the ECOWAS banged its fist on the table and decided to cut financial aid to Mali, and to freeze the country’s assets at the Central Bank of West African States. The member countries of ECOWAS (fifteen less Mali) have also chosen to close the borders with Mali and to suspend economic exchanges, with the exception of basic necessities.
It was the response to the new calendar proposed by the Bamako junta, which required 5 years from January 1, 2022 to return power to civilians. Unacceptable for ECOWAS which, despite the visit of Malian emissaries carrying a new agenda, sanctioned Bamako. Economic sanctions already taken during the 2020 putsch, quickly abandoned thanks to the goodwill of the junta at the time.
“The Malian counter-proposal is a four-year transition. It’s a joke”, a senior Ghanaian official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Remember that after the first putsch in August 2020, the military had promised legislative and presidential elections in February 2022. But today, they are asking for more time to carry out reforms essential to the credibility of the elections.
Bamako’s aftershock came back like a boomerang. The government has decided to recall its ambassadors stationed in ECOWAS member countries and also to close its borders. According to the spokesperson for the junta, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, “the government of the Republic of Mali was amazed to learn of the economic and financial sanctions taken against Mali”. “The government of Mali regrets that West African sub-regional organizations are being exploited by extra-regional powers with ulterior motives”, continued the colonel.
Russian military advisers are reportedly helping Mali train its security forces.
Western countries have criticized Mali for allowing mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group to operate in the West African nation.https: //t.co/G2CBsUe986
– DW News (@dwnews) January 7, 2022
(Translation : “Russian military advisers are said to help Mali train its security forces. Western countries criticize Mali for allowing mercenaries from the Russian Wagner group to operate in a West African country. “)
The Rubicon has indeed been crossed by the military junta, even though for days information has circulated about the presence of the famous Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group on the ground in Mali. Information that the junta did not comment on. In the press release read on national television, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga also announces “spectacular results for the Malian Armed Forces in the fight against terrorism. This has not happened for over a decade.” Implied, Barkhane’s presence was of no use. Those “spectacular results” probably refer to a clash in Dogon country between Russians and jihadists, according to The world.
However, the French diplomatic authorities supported by several of its allies denounced in a joint statement the deployment of mercenaries on Malian territory. “This deployment can only accentuate the deterioration of the security situation in West Africa, lead to a worsening of the human rights situation in Mali …” The tone used is severe. The newspaper The world announces for his part that more than 300 mercenaries but also Russian soldiers “would now be deployed north of Bamako. “
The junta in Bamako therefore intends to continue on its own logic which is to emancipate itself from the tutelage of France. The streets are demanding more and more often the departure of the Barkhane force accused of ineffectiveness. The second break is now also regional.
Colonel Assimi Goïta seems to disregard ECOWAS sanctions and calls on the population to face the “inhuman nature of these measures which affect populations already hard hit by the security crisis and the health crisis”. For its part, ECOWAS activates its military force “who must be ready for any eventuality”.