By Olukayode Idowu
Russia has commended the decision of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lift some of the sanctions imposed on departing members of the bloc, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso as a result of military intervention in civilian rule.
An official statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said: “The window for dialogue between the Sahel States Alliance (SSA) and ECOWAS remains open, and the decisions made at the Abuja summit can be seen as a demonstration of political will in the interest of maintaining Community unity.”
The statement read: “On February 24th, an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was held in Abuja, Nigeria, where the most pressing regional issues were discussed. The forum resulted in a series of important decisions, including those addressing the preservation of ECOWAS unity in light of the recent announcement by the leadership of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso of their “immediate” withdrawal from its membership. These countries, amidst the Community’s imposed restrictions, established a new integrative alliance in September 2023, named the “Sahel States Alliance” (SSA), aimed at consolidating efforts in national defense and security.
“It has been reported that among other measures, ECOWAS announced a partial lifting of sanctions against Niger, including the reopening of land and air borders, unfreezing of Nigerien assets in the Central Bank and Community commercial banks, resumption of trade and financial transactions, electricity supplies, and other services, as well as the provision of assistance from ECOWAS financial institutions.
“The Russian side emphasizes that the West African states should determine their own ways to resolve the current situation. The window for dialogue between the SSA and ECOWAS remains open, and the decisions made at the Abuja summit can be seen as a demonstration of political will in the interest of maintaining Community unity. “Moscow reaffirms its unwavering readiness to enhance cooperation with Sahelian states in formats they deem most suitable for collectively addressing existing economic challenges and threats to their security.”
