ECOWAS Lifts Sanctions on Guinea and Niger

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has lifted the sanctions it imposed on Guinea, a day after making a similar decision on military-led Niger.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary summit of ECOWAS heads of state in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday, February 25, 2024. The bloc also lifted “restrictions on the recruitment of citizens of the Republic of Mali to professional positions within ECOWAS institutions”.

The organisation had imposed sanctions on Niger, Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso and suspended them because of military coups in those countries between 2020 and last year.

“The authority instructs the president of the commission to invite all four ECOWAS member states in transition to technical and consultative meetings of Ecowas as well as to all security-related meetings,” the regional bloc said in a statement on Saturday.

It also urged Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the organisation.

On Saturday, Ecowas heads of state ordered the reopening of their land borders with Niger as well as the lifting of asset freezes against Niger’s ruling generals on “humanitarian grounds”.

Analysts say the bloc’s decisions signal its desire to ensure the junta-led nations remain as members.