Ghana has joined sister states of the ECOWAS community to criticize the hostile takeover of Mali’s government leading to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayokor Botchwey, who represented President Akufo-Addo at the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government described the coup d’etat as an act that goes against the ECOWAS protocols on democratic governance.

The Foreign Affairs Minister added that, “the events in Mali are taking place at a time when the country is experiencing socio-economic and political difficulties, complicated by security threats posed by jihadists and extremists which have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic”.

She was of the view that Mali’s military take over could pose a grave danger to the regional security and escalate jihadist activities in the country and the Sahel region in general, if measures are not urgently put in place to manage the situation effectively.

Madam Shirley Ayokor Botchwey reiterated Ghana’s solidarity with the resolve and strong sanctions imposed by ECOWAS Commission and the African Union and the positions expressed by the United Nations Security Council as well as other International Organisations in rejecting unconstitutional change of government in Mali.

While expressing appreciation to Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, President Mahamadou Issoufou, for convening the summit, the minister said that, “The Government of Ghana adds its voice to the calls for the immediate release of President Keita and senior officials of his government. We also support the proposal for the immediate dispatch of an ECOWAS delegation to Mali to ensure the return to normalcy, peace and order as well as Constitutional rule.”