On the evening of Monday 31 May - in the aftermath of the Extraordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on the situation in Mali, now headed by Colonel Assimi Goïta - the EU reacted by taking “note of these deliberations, in particular the suspension of Mali from ECOWAS bodies”, and insisting on the importance of the mediation of this regional organisation for the future.
“This mediation, which has our full support, must continue in the days ahead. In particular, we support the adherence to the timetable to hold a presidential election on 27 February 2022, in accordance with the terms defined by ECOWAS”, stated Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in a statement issued on behalf of the EU27.
“In conjunction with regional and international partners, we are closely monitoring further developments to determine the nature and extent of our support in the coming months”, the EU warns. It reiterates that it “condemns the imprisonment and removal from office of the transitional president and prime minister, which occurred a few days ago”.
In Bamako on Sunday, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government called for the appointment of a civilian prime minister and the formation of an inclusive government, but did not impose sanctions. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)