Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah explains why Mali has been suspended from ECOWAS

• ECOWAS suspended Mali on Sunday following a coup d’etat in the country

• Mali, according to Oppong-Nkrumah, failed to adhere to the advice ECOWAS gave hence the suspension

• ECOWAS has called for a new civilian Prime Minister to be nominated immediately

Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has stated that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), reached a decision to suspend Mali from the ECOWAS due to the numerous insurgencies in the country.

According to him, Mali failed to oblige by the laws and advice given them when a coup broke in the country.

“ECOWAS decided to suspend them because they refused to obey the advice given them. When they started the coup, the ECOWAS chair, President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo Addo, called on the leaders of the coup and some government officials from Mali for a meeting, where they were asked to hand over power to a civilian in 18months, but the military who led the coup refused. These are some factors that led to the suspension of Mali from the ECOWAS,” he said in an interview on the Peace FM morning show “Kokrokoo”.

He noted the high rate of instability in the country is crippling the growth of the country and affecting other neighbouring countries.

“Their act is affecting other countries surrounding them and the leaders of ECOWAS have thought about the implications and effect of their actions so they reached a decision to suspend them. They have been asked to go back and structure their political spectrum and so they can hold an election in February 2022, to elect a new leader but for the interim, the military needs to have over power to a civilian,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Mali’s neighbours and international powers fear the latest revolt will jeopardise a commitment to hold a presidential election next February and undermine a regional fight against armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).

Speaking after the meeting, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway said Mali’s suspension “from ECOWAS takes immediate effect until the deadline of the end of February 2022”, when the country’s interim leaders “are supposed to hand over to a democratically elected government”.

The bloc’s final communique also called for the immediate appointment of a new civilian prime minister and the formation of an “inclusive” government.

Listen to the full interview below;

video=124477>