ECOWAS freezes financial assets, places travel ban on Guinea junta

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS member-states has resolved to freeze the assets and placed travel bans on the military junta in Guinea.

In a communique issued at the end of Thursday’s Extraordinary Summit held in Ghana, the ECOWAS leaders also issued a six-month ultimatum for a return to democracy to the coup leaders.

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The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed this on Friday in a statement titled, ‘ECOWAS extraordinary summit: Nigeria, ECOWAS insist on the prompt transition to civil rule in Guinea’.

Recall that at the last summit of ECOWAS leaders which held virtually on September 8, Nigeria represented by Osinbajo had condemned the coup d’état in Guinea, calling for an unconditional release of President Alpha Conde, and for stringent measures on Guinea’s military junta.

Speaking at the Accra summit, Osinbajo restated Nigeria’s position by calling for the unconditional release of President Condé and more pressure on the country’s military leaders to return the nation to democratic rule.

“It is also important that ECOWAS should simply insist that there should be an immediate return to civil rule.”

The VP while calling for more stringent measures to be taken by the sub-regional body said, “we must make sure that sanctions by ECOWAS achieve the intended objectives.

He renewed the call to engage global bodies and Africa’s development partners in taking steps to prevent such unconstitutional change of government in countries on the continent.

On the update of the situation in Mali, the VP commended former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan “for his continued commitment and engagement with the various stakeholders in Mali.”

At the end of the extraordinary summit, the ECOWAS communique stated that, “After consideration of the Report and subsequent deliberations, the Authority decides as follows:

“To uphold the suspension of Guinea from all ECOWAS governing bodies until the restoration of constitutional order; to ensure the conduct of presidential and legislative elections within six months to restore constitutional rule in the Republic of Guinea.

“To impose sanctions, in accordance with extant ECOWAS Protocols, of travel bans on the members of the CNRD (the Guinean military junta) and their family members and to freeze their financial assets.”

The extraordinary session was chaired by President of Ghana and Chair of the ECOWAS, Nana Akufo-Addo, according to a statement made available to newsmen by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande on Friday.

Aside from the vice president, the session was also attended by eight presidents and 4 foreign Affairs Ministers representing heads of State, former Nigerian President and ECOWAS Mediator on Mali, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou; the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa, among others.