The Latest Breaking News from ECOWAS

Presidents of West Africa’s regional bloc agreed Sunday to lift economic and financial sanctions on Mali after the nation’s military leaders agreed to a return to democracy by 2024.

Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday lifted economic and financial sanctions imposed on Mali, after its military rulers proposed a 24-month transition to democracy and published a new electoral law.

Senegal President Macky Sall said on Thursday he is still hopeful that a compromise can be reached with Mali's ruling military junta on the timeline for restoring democratic rule.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS said on Tuesday that it regretted the decision by Mali's interim government to extend the transition back to civilian rule by 24 months while negotiations between the two sides were ongoing.

Mali's military rulers announced on Monday they would delay until March 2024 a return to civilian rule following double coups that have been denounced by countries in the region and foreign powers.

Mali's interim government on Monday said it will take 24 months from March 2022 for the country to transition to democratic rule after an August 2020 coup.

West African leaders meeting in Accra have decided to uphold sanctions against Mali, along with the suspension of Burkina Faso and Guinea from the bloc. The measures could be lifted if the military rulers in all three countries speed up plans for a return to civilian rule.

The Nigerian government on Wednesday approved a proposal for the construction of a gas pipeline connecting Nigeria and Morocco. Nigeria's Federal Executive Council at a weekly meeting approved a proposal presented by the ministry of petroleum resources and directed the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to execute a Memorandum…

Guinea has announced a 36-month transition period to civilian rule, slightly shorter than what had been proposed by the military chief, but longer than regional leaders have called for.