The Nigeria Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, who is currently mediating in the Mali crisis for the West Africa bloc, ECOWAS, has said the organization would probably decide on Friday whether it would lift the economic sanction imposed on Mali.
Jonathan said this while speaking in the capital of Mali, Bamako on Wednesday. He also described the measure imposition on the country by the 15-nation bloc “unfortunate.”
West African leaders have been putting pressure on Mali’s military junta to return power to the civilians after August 18 coup that toppled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The committee appointed by the junta this week appointed retired colonel Bah Ndaw as interim president, who was expected to govern the country for 18 months before arranging for elections.
The 70-year-old former defense minister will be sworn in on Friday, with the junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, who will serve as interim vice president.
Jonathan added that ECOWAS was “eager” to make a decision on the sanctions, and such decision threaten to cripple the economic of the poor Sahel state.
He told reporters that, “ECOWAS doesn’t want any sanctions in any part of the community.”
Jonathan added that, however, it is up to the ECOWAS leader and Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo to announce the decision.
He said, “I believe that on Friday after the inauguration, probably he will make that pronouncement.”
