This Thursday, January 27, 2022, the sub-regional organization published a long technical note on Mali. Since it imposed economic and financial sanctions on Mali almost three weeks ago, ECOWAS has come under enormous criticism. There were these monster demonstrations in the country two weeks ago, but also a lot of solidarity expressed by civil societies in neighboring West African countries. Suddenly, with this note, ECOWAS is trying to justify itself.
” ECOWAS only asks the authorities of the military transition to allow Malians to choose their own leaders. The sub-regional organization is trying to break its image as a club of heads of state and to prove that it is indeed respect for the will of the people that it is trying to defend, by advocating the organization of “ democratic elections “.
Returning in detail to its support for the transition in Mali, ECOWAS recalls having, from the first coup d’état of August 2020, engaged in dialogue with the ” military authorities and accepted their project to set up an 18-month civilian transition.
” More than a constitutional presidential term »
“ Sadly “, deplores ECOWAS, with the “ new coup last May, the objectives of the new Military Transition Authorities have radically changed », « these no longer making compliance with the electoral calendar a priority “.
ECOWAS indicates that the extension of the transition by five years, then four years, made at the beginning of the month by Bamako would be equivalent to ” a total duration of the transition of five and a half years », « more than a normal constitutional presidential term in Mali and the Region “.
Pretext
The reforms that the transitional authorities want to put in place are described as “ pretext “: ” reforms are necessary and essential “, recognizes ECOWAS, but” their implementation is part of a continuous and permanent process, led by successive governments “. “ They cannot therefore be a prerequisite for the organization of elections. Finally, some of them require, according to the West African organization, be initiated by legitimate governments resulting from a vote reflecting the will of the people. »
Security ” cannot be an argument »
Bamako also justifies the extension of the transition by the degraded security context in the country, while highlighting the recent successes of the national forces in the fight against terrorism. Here again, ECOWAS tries to argue: “Theniger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, three other countries suffering from terrorist attacks, hold regular elections “, notes the organization, which considers that the security context ” cannot be an argument for not going to the elections “.
“ This posture of the Military Transition Authorities clearly suggests a desire to remain in power for a period of more than five years. “, further believes ECOWAS, which regrets the Malian people are thus deprived of” its legitimate right to democratically, freely and transparently appoint its leaders “.
Penalties
As for the sanctions imposed on Mali, ECOWAS recalls that they can be ” reduced or even eliminated as soon as the transitional authorities have shown progress on the organization of the elections. ” The exceptions made for basic and mass consumption products aim to spare populations “, repeats the West African organization.
Nothing new, then, but an unusual and almost desperate attempt to win back increasingly hostile public opinion.