Guinea and Mauritania have pledged solidarity with Mali in response to economic sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the land-locked West African country. Their borders will therefore stay open for transport of goods to and from Mali.
In a joint statement on 9 January, the 15-member bloc said Mali’s transitional authorities failure to comply with an agreement reached with ECOWAS in September, which maps a return to civilian rule in line with the country’s own Transition Charter, left no option but to impose sanctions.
The sanctions have left the landlocked country isolated and struggling to import goods after neighbours closed borders and cancelled flights.
But in a statement issued on 19 January, Mali’s Foreign Ministry announced that “Guinea and Mauritania reaffirmed their active solidarity and complete readiness to support Mali in these times of difficulty”.
Guinea’s ruling Committee for National Restoration issued a communique on January 15 saying Conakry’s own suspension from all regional institutions in September 2021 meant it would not endorse the regional sanctions.
The country’s land, sea and air borders would remain open to all friendly nations in line with pan-African solidarity, the statement added.
Guinea was suspended from ECOWAS in September last year after its own military coup ousted 81-year-old president Alpha Conde who had ruled the West African state for 11 years.
Mauritania is located in West Africa, but is not a member of the ECOWAS grouping, and therefore not bound by the sanctions.
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