In the aftermath of an extraordinary summit of ECOWAS heads of state in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional bloc announced the lifting of sanctions imposed on Guinea and Niger. This decision comes after similar action was taken regarding military-led Niger the day before.
Additionally, ECOWAS lifted restrictions on the recruitment of citizens from Mali to professional positions within its institutions. These sanctions were initially imposed on Niger, Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso due to military coups in those countries between 2020 and last year.
In a statement on Saturday, ECOWAS instructed the president of the commission to invite all four transitional member states to participate in technical, consultative, and security-related meetings.
Furthermore, ECOWAS urged Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the organization.
During the summit, ECOWAS heads of state also ordered the reopening of land borders with Niger and lifted asset freezes against Niger’s ruling generals on humanitarian grounds.
Analysts interpret these decisions as ECOWAS’s commitment to ensuring that junta-led nations remain members of the organization.