Ecowas lifts sanctions on Mali junta, agrees to Burkina transition timeline

President of the Ecowas Commission Jean-Claude Kassi Brou (R) speaks during the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 61st Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana, on July 3, 2022. - West African leaders meet on July 3 to review sanctions they have imposed on Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, three military-ruled countries in their volatile region, and assess efforts to nail down timetables and other guarantees for restoring civilian rule. © AFP/Nipah Dennis

West African leaders have lifted sanctions on Mali's military regime, accepting a deadline for a return to civilian rule by March 2024 and agreed to allow Burkina Faso two years for its transition back to democracy.

Heads of the Economic Community of West African States were meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra on Sunday to assess efforts to secure guarantees for restoring civilian rule in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.