Nine presidents from across the subregion were joined by other government representatives in Ghana to discuss issues around the political situation in Mali.

Under the aegis of the Economic Commission of West African States, ECOWAS, Mali was suspended from the bloc over a coup last week.

It was the second coup in under a year, staged by Colonel Assimi Goita, the erstwhile vice president of the transitional government and now self-declared president with the backing of the Constitutional Court.

ECOWAS have released an official statement following the May 30 summit held in Accra.

Communique Extraordinary Summit on the Political Situation In Mali

ACCRA, 30th MAY 2021

ECOWAS Commission

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana and the current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held an Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Mali on 30th May 2021, in Accra, Ghana.

2. The underlisted Heads of State and Government participated in the
Extraordinary Summit or their duly mandated representatives:

– H.E. Roch-Marc Christian KABORE, President of Burkina Faso;

– H.E. Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire;

– H.E. Adama BARROW, President of the Republic of The Gambia;

– H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of
Ghana;

– H.E. Umaro Sissoco EMBALÓ, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau;

– H.E. George WEAH, President of the Republic of Liberia;

– H.E. Mohamed BAZOUM, President of the Republic of Niger;

– H.E. Muhammadu BUHARI, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

– H.E. Julius Maada BIO, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone;

– H.E. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Togolese Republic.

– Mr Aurelien AGBENONCI, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration of
the Republic of Benin;

– Mr Rui SOARES, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communities of the Republic of Cabo Verde;

– Mrs Aissata TALL SALL, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal;

– Mrs Moussoukoro SANGARE, Charge d’Affaires a. i. of the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea in Ghana.

3. The following high-ranking personalities also participated in the extraordinary Summit:

– H.E. Goodluck Ebele JONATHAN, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator to Mali;

– H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, President of the ECOWAS Commission; H.E. El-Ghassim WANE, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Mali, Head of the Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); and

4. The Extraordinary Summit was convened to review the prevailing socio political crisis in Mali following the arrest, detention and subsequent resignations of the President and the Prime Minister of the Transition on 26th May 2021, as well as to determine the next line of action for the transition.

5. After the presentation of the report by H.E. Goodluck Ebele JONATHAN, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator to Mali, the Heads of State expressed strong and deep concerns over the present crisis in Mali, which is coming halfway to the end of the agreed transition period, in the context of the security challenges related to incessant terrorist attacks and the Covid-19 Pandemic with its dire socio-economic impacts.

6. The Heads of State demand the immediate unconditional release of the former President of the Transition, the Prime Minister and their collaborators who are kept under house arrest.

7. The Heads of State strongly condemn this recent Coup d’Etat, which is a violation of the decisions taken at the extraordinary Summit held at the Peduase Lodge, Aburi, Ghana on 15th September 2020 and a violation of the Transition Charter.

8. After extensive discussions on the situation in Mali, the Heads of State and Government took the following decisions:

a. Reaffirm the importance and necessity of respecting the democratic process for ascending to power, in conformity with the 2001 ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They particularly condemn all actions that led to ongoing instability in Mali, and its attendant consequences in the region;

b. Decide to suspend Mali from ECOWAS Institutions in line with ECOWAS provisions;

c. Call for a new civilian Prime Minister to be nominated immediately;

d. A new inclusive government should be formed to proceed with the transition programme;

e. Reaffirm the need to respect the transition period of 18 months decided in Accra. In this context, the date of 27th February 2022 already announced for the Presidential election should be absolutely
maintained. A monitoring Mechanism will be put in place to this effect;

f. Reiterate the earlier decisions that the Head of the transition, the Vice President and the Prime Minister of the transition should not, under any circumstances, be candidates for the forthcoming Presidential election;

g. Reaffirm ECOWAS’ support to accompany the transition process in Mali.
h. Urge all international partners (the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union) to continue to support Mali towards the successful implementation of the transition;

i. Congratulate and encourage the Mediator to persevere with his mediation efforts and remain seized of the situation in Mali through the Local Monitoring Committee.

9. The Heads of State call for the immediate implementation of all these decisions in conformity with the transition timetable defined. To this end, they urge the Mediator to return to Mali within a week to engage stakeholders on these decisions.

10.The Heads of State express their gratitude to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana and the current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for convening this Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Mali and for the facilities made available to ensure the successful conduct of the extraordinary Summit.

Done at Accra, this 30th day of May 2021.

The Authority