ECOWAS to save face, may lift sanctions on ‘rebel’ member
states
By
Uji A. Iliyasu
Abuja
The
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is expected to suspend all
sanctions imposed on Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, who are currently under
military rule as a result of the overthrow of their civilian governments by military
junta.
This
was as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS
Authority of Heads of States, hosts his counterparts at an extraordinary
meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Saturday morning.
Presidential
sources told journalists that with the lifted sanctions, the bloc would attempt
to talk the three alienated states out of their decision to withdraw.
The
nearly 50-year-old bloc consists of 15 countries which has its headquarters located
in Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. However, the juntas of Burkina-Faso, Mali
and Niger, in late January, announced their withdrawal over “illegal sanctions”
harming their people.
They
also alleged that the bloc had fallen under the influence of foreign
governments whose interests, they said were far from the people.
A
source in the presidency Saturday revealed that “ECOWAS is likely to lift the
sanctions against those three states. For the sake of brotherhood, they don’t
want them to go.