Africa

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ECOWAS Leaders plead with African Union and European Union to recognise the transitional government in Guinea Bissau to pave way for lifting of sanctions against it

The 43^rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government ended in Abuja, Thursday, July 18, with the regional leaders calling for international support to see through the ongoing political transitions in Mali and Guinea Bissau. The two countries experienced security and political crises lately.

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, who hosted the session, set the tune in his opening remarks by recalling the progress made by ECOWAS in collaboration with the international community in resolving the crises. He then appealed for intensified assistance to bridge the financial gap of $25 million for the provision of critical logistical support particularly air assets and deployment of international and national observers for Mali’s  July 28,  elections.

On Guinea Bissau, he urged ECOWAS leaders to bring “pressure to bear on the African Union and the EU to recognise the transitional government and lift the sanctions” on the country, to allow the resumption of bilateral cooperation with the international community. The Nigerian President also proposed that the summit consider a donors’ conference in early September to raise funds for the conduct of the November 2013 election in Guinea Bissau, where ECOWAS has a military mission, ECOMIB, and also supports a Defence and Security Sector Reform Programme.

Similarly, Alassane Ouattara, President of Cote d’Ivoire and chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, called for the consolidation of the encouraging results from regional initiatives in both countries, citing the July 1, re-hating and transition from the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, AFISMA, to the UN Mission, MINUSMA, and the June 18, peace agreement by Malian stakeholders to pave way for presidential election on  July 28. He noted a similar progress and stabilisation of the situation in Guinea Bissau ahead of national election fixed for next November.

The ECOWAS chairman expressed gratitude to the international community and partners including the UN, African Union, EU, France, Chad and the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries, CPLP, for their support and solidarity. At his behest, the meeting observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the fight against terrorism and insecurity in Mali, Nigeria and Niger.

In his remarks, Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, president of the ECOWAS Commission, said the “vision, pragmatism and courage” demonstrated by regional leaders in managing the crises in Mali and Guinea Bissau have yielded tremendous results. “Security has now been restored to the region thanks to your decision to say No to terrorism in West Africa,” he said, adding that the recent terrorist attacks in Niger “call for eternal vigilance,” and also “constitute a reminder of the need for the region and the international community to relentlessly pursue efforts to combat this scourge.”

The president also called for introspection and retrospection in order to draw lessons from the management of the Malian crisis and “strengthen our regional strategies.” He said the international community’s contribution remains critical to the success of the transitional process in Guinea Bissau, particularly “the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country,” adding that ECOWAS “will leave no stone unturned in building a consensus around the objectives of finding a way out of the crisis.”

The summit also received goodwill messages from the African Union Commission and the UN. Pierre Buyoya, former Burundian President and AU Commission’s special representative for Mali and the Sahel, attributed the progress in Mali, to the engagement of Malians, ECOWAS, the AU and other partners, in collaboration with the rest of the international community.

On his part, Ambassador Said Djinnit, UN special representative for West Africa, commended the “efforts made by ECOWAS to address the crises in Mali and Guinea Bissau, and to sustain the engagement of regional and international partners in seeking lasting solution to these crises.”

In addition to the political and security situations in Mali and Guinea Bissau, the two-day ECOWAS mid-year summit also considered the memorandum on the expansion of the membership of the ECOWAS Commission from seven to 15 and the allocation of statutory positions to member states. It considered the Interim Report of the President of the Commission, Report of the 70^th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Report of the 30th Meeting of the Mediation and Security Council held on Tuesday, July 15, in Abuja.

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