EU sanctions Mali junta members
The European Union freezes the assets of five members of Mali's military junta and imposes a travel ban on them.
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The EU claimed the sanctions' targets are accused of actions that "obstruct" the completion of Mali's political transition.
The EU imposed Friday targeted sanctions on five members of Mali's ruling junta, including Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga.
In a statement, EU member states claimed the sanctions' targets are accused of "actions that obstruct and undermine the successful completion of Mali's political transition."
"The five designated people are subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories, and an asset freeze," the statement read.
The five leaders are involved in ousting former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020 in the first of two coups. The second coup took place in May 2021.
The junta failed to hold elections following the military coups.
All five figures are already subject to sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.
Tensions between Mali & international powers
Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga had recently announced that his country would no longer allow the presence of foreign forces on its territory without specific preconditions.
In recent weeks, tensions between Mali and former colonial power France have increased. The junta ordered the French Ambassador to leave, over hostile remarks.
The decision came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described Mali's military council as "illegitimate", which the Malian government considered a "hostile" statement.
France has some 4,000 troops deployed across West Africa's Sahel region, where half the troops are in Mali.
It is noteworthy that Mali's transitional government demanded that Denmark withdraw its soldiers from the nation "immediately".
France and 14 other European nations urged the military council to allow the presence of Danish special forces as part of a broader European task force tasked with "countering militants".
