ECOWAS slaps sanctions on Guinea military, demands return to constitutional order

Accra, Ghana | Xinhua | The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said late Thursday that it has slapped sanctions on the Guinea military coup leaders and their relatives.

Addressing the media after a one-day extraordinary summit of heads of state in the Ghanaian capital over the political developments in Guinea and Mali, ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said the sanctions were to compel the military leaders to return their country to constitutional order without delay.

Brou said ECOWAS imposed a travel ban on Guinea’s military coup leaders, members of its “National Committee of Reconciliation and Development” and their relatives, and also froze their financial assets.

“ECOWAS also demands a short transitional period of no more than six months from the military leaders. They should hold elections and return the country to constitutional order, and immediately release deposed President Alpha Conde from detention,” Brou said.

He also said that ECOWAS Chairman Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would visit Guinea shortly to hold discussions with the military leaders on the demands of the ECOWAS and see to the release of Conde.

In its initial response on Sept. 8 to the military coup in Guinea, the subregional body announced the suspension of the country’s membership.

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Xinhua