ACCRA, January 10 (Reuters) – Malian authorities said they were amazed on Monday at the decision announced on Sunday by the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (Cdao) to close their borders, sever diplomatic relations and impose severe economic sanctions with Mali.
These new sanctions follow the decision of the Malian transitional authorities to postpone the organization of democratic elections to December 2025 instead of February 2022 as initially planned.
The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) at the same time called on all financial institutions under its leadership to suspend Mali with immediate effect, thus cutting off the country from access to regional financial markets.
The Malian transitional government has promised to close its borders with Cdao member countries, to recall its ambassadors and announced that it reserves the right to reconsider its membership in Cdao and UEMOA.
“The government strongly condemns these illegal and illegitimate sanctions,” Malian authorities said in a statement read on television by spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga, who appealed to Malians for calm.
The Malian authorities blamed the delay in the transition to democracy on the violence of the Islamist insurgency.
(Report Christian Akorlie and Tiemoko Diallo, with Ange Aboa, edited by Alessandra Prentice; French version Camille Raynaud)