Mali: The Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) leadership has declared a flurry of 'harsher' sanctions against Mali.

According to state media reports, ECOWAS leaders met in an extraordinary summit to discuss the situation in Mali. The regional group said in a statement released after the summit that the Malian transitional authorities' proposed chronogram, which calls for a five-and-a-half-year transition, is "absolutely unacceptable." According to the communique, all ECOWAS member states would withdraw their ambassadors from Mali immediately.

"Other sanctions include the closing of ECOWAS nations' land and air borders with Mali, as well as the suspension of all financial and economic transactions between ECOWAS member states and Mali, with the exception of necessary consumer items," according to the communique. Pharmaceutical and medical supplies, as well as items required for the control of Covid-19, petroleum products, and power, were specifically excepted from the prohibitions.

Mali's assets in the ECOWAS central bank were frozen, as were the assets of the Malian state, state businesses, and parastatals in commercial banks, and Mali was barred from all financial aid and transactions from all financial institutions, according to ECOWAS.

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