Two of the renowned artifacts were given back to Nigeria on Friday, and Germany intends to give the African country ownership of some 1,100 more. Germany returned two of the priceless artifacts known as the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria on Friday, after reaching a political agreement that could soon see hundreds more return to the country…
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ACCRA, Ghana — West African heads of state put off further punishing the leaders of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso at a regional summit Saturday, as coup leaders in all three countries continue to insist that it will take years before new elections can be held.
The 15-nation regional bloc known as ECOWAS will convene again on July 3 before determining if further sanctions will be implemented in the three suspended members states, ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said.
ECOWAS already imposed strong economic sanctions against Mali back in January — shutting down most commerce, along with land and air borders with other countries in the bloc. Those measures have crippled Mali’s economy, prompting concern about the humanitarian consequences on Malians.
The sanctions have not yet brought about a political breakthrough either: In the months since, Col. Assimi Goita has only further isolated the country internationally, pulling out of a regional security force and also shutting down two leading French media broadcasters.
Goita’s government also still insists that no vote can be held until 2024, which would extend their time to power to nearly four years despite originally agreeing to an 18-month transition back to democracy.
The juntas in Guinea and Burkina Faso also have proposed three-year transitions, which have been rejected by ECOWAS as too long a wait for new elections.
The wave of military coups began in August 2020, when Goita and other soldiers overthrew Mali’s democratically elected president. Nine months later, he carried out a second coup when he dismissed the country’s civilian transitional leader and became president himself.
Mutinous soldiers deposed Guinea’s president in September 2021, and Burkina Faso’s leader was ousted in yet another coup in the region back in January.
The political upheaval came at a time when many observers were starting to think that military power grabs were a thing of the past in West Africa: Mali had gone eight years without one, while Guinea had made it 13 years.
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Associated Press writers Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali; and Boubacar Diallo in Conakry, Guinea contributed.
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Conakry, Guinea — The military junta ruling Guinea has banned political protests after announcing a three-year transition period before civilian rule is restored. “All demonstrations on public roads, whose nature is to jeopardize social tranquility and the correct implementation of activities in the (transition) timetable are banned for the moment until the period of electoral…
.By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja Catholic Bishops from the 16 West African countries, on Saturday in Abuja, said the sub-region will overcome its current challenges.However, they insisted that political leaders must halt policies and practices that permit the exploitation of the people. The clerics also resolve to work with critical stakeholders to remove all obstacles to peaceful coexistence, development and productivity in the region.The Bishops under the auspices of the Reunion of the Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA) said this in a communique made available to journalists at the end of their 4th General Assembly, which was held in Nigeria’s capital city. The religious leaders, who acknowledged that West African countries were battling the common challenges of insecurity, corruption, and sectional marginalisation among others, nonetheless said there is no need to despair because tough times do not last forever.They said, “We recognize the inherent dangers in our current society, but we remain optimistic that none of the problems bedevilling our sub-region is insurmountable. “However, we need to work together, with like minds in politics, religion, economics, social life the media, in synergy to fight against all forms of man’s inhumanity to man.”The communique was signed by RECOWA President, the Most Revd. Alexis Touabli Youlou, further stressed that all stakeholders must sustain the advocacy for positive change in society. To this end, it added: “As Church, we call on politicians, other leaders and indeed our people to order in their never-ending craving for self-aggrandisement and acquisition of wealth.“We urge Christian politicians, traditional rulers, technocrats, professionals, especially those in the media, businessmen and women, and indeed all our people to live out their Christian vocation in fighting corruption, ethnocentrism, sectionalism, and all forms of injustice in society.“We strongly denounce the policies and practices of our governments and leaders who facilitate and permit the exploitation and marginalisation of our people and endanger the future of our children.“Tragically, some individuals engaged in acts of violence and terrorism have aggravated the state of insecurity in our subregion. We, therefore, call on all never to grow weary in denouncing and rooting cut such evils in our midst.”The Catholic Bishops also said that at the end of their deliberations, they held elections and the following emerged as the leaders of RECOWA for the next three years:“Most Reverend Alexis Touabli Youlou, Bishop of Agbovilie in Cote D’Ivoire, President; Most Reverend Joseph Kwaku Afrifan-Agyekum, Bishop of Koforidua in Ghana, first vice president; and Most Reverend José Lampra, Bishop of Bissau in Guinea Bissau, second vice president.“Also elected to the secretariat of the reunion are Father Vitalis Anaehobi, Secretary-General, from Nigeria.”Vanguard News NigeriaRELATED NEWS
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