W. Africa bloc rules against fresh sanctions on Burkina Faso
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Unlike Mali and Guinea, ECOWAS will not be imposing sanctions on Burkina Faso following its coup, only suspending its membership in the bloc.
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A man uses his mobile phone beside army soldiers after they deposed President Kabore in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, January 24, 2022 (Reuters)
An ECOWAS summit saw fit not to impose new sanctions on Burkina Faso in light of the coup that saw the military taking over the African nation due to the deteriorating security situation that the military attributed to President Roch Kabore.
The leaders of the member states of the Western African bloc are holding emergency talks in Accra, Ghana, to decide on imposing economic or other sanctions on Ouagadougou, which the bloc had already suspended following the coup.
"We are going to ask the Burkinabe authorities to propose a clear and fast timetable for restoring constitutional order," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The new Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR), which is behind the coup, had pledged to re-establish "constitutional order" within a "reasonable time."
Burkina is ECOWAS' third country within the time span of 18 months to undergo a military takeover in light of rising domestic tensions within the region's states due to mounting security threats imposed by terrorists.
The first country that underwent a coup was Mali in August 2020 and another in May 2021, the second was Guinea four months later.
The ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on Mali and Guinea and suspended both nations following the coups.
ECOWAS military chiefs flew to Burkina's capital on Saturday for talks with the military, followed by a diplomatic mission led by Ghanian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and the envoys reacted positively to the talks they had with the Burkinabe officials.
"They seemed very open to the suggestions and proposals that we made," Botchway told reporters, which he noted was a good sign.
The delegation also met ousted president Kabore, whose release the West African bloc is demanding.
During the visit, the Army declared it had restored the constitution, just a few days after it was suspended, and named Damiba as president and head of the armed forces during a transition period.
The duration of the transitional period and other key questions have not been detailed.
The takeover came following mass protests against the government's handling of the terrorist attacks in the country that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians.
