According to several high-ranking personalities in West Africa, certain differences were felt, in particular with regard to the economic sanctions announced by ECOWAS.
During the virtual summit, two different positions were defended: first that in favor of very firm sanctions, supported in particular by Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, which has already started to apply these economic sanctions. President Alassane Ouattara is also said to have raised the issue of the International Criminal Court against the putschists. The objective of this very strict position is to discourage any attempted coup, in Mali and elsewhere.
Burkina Faso and Senegal for more moderate measures
And if this objective is defended by all members of ECOWAS, others have pleaded for more moderate measures. Burkina Faso and Senegal have expressed their fear of further complicating the situation by economically suffocating Mali with too severe sanctions.
Other issues counted in the balance: the impact on the fight against armed groups as with the question of fuel for the military was raised. Burkina Faso, which shares 1,300 km of borders with Mali, is worried about the supply of the Malian army to fight armed groups. So to prevent the fight against terrorism from being undermined by economic sanctions, oil is not affected by the stopping of economic transactions and the closing of borders with Mali.
And this is not the only exception: the same is true for basic necessities, for electricity, for drugs and other equipment to fight against Covid-19.
Another ECOWAS summit is to be held next week.
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