Why we lifted sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has said that “compassion” in the month of Lent and the coming Ramadan was part of the reasons the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, lifted sanctions slammed on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by the presidency, said that “in the Spirit of the holy month and of the Lenten period, and with hearts bestirred by goodwill towards all our people, let us extend a hand as brothers and friends to those in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.”
He explained that the actions ECOWAS took “was in hopes of persuading our brothers that there existed a better path, a path that would lead to genuine improvement of their people’s welfare through democratic good governance.”
“The sanctions that we contemplated might help lead our brothers to the negotiating table have become a harsh stumbling block.
“In my mind and heart, that which is hurtful yet ineffective serves no good purpose and should be abandoned.”
The President said that he urged indefinite suspension of “economic sanctions against Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and against the leadership of the military authorities in those nations.”
President Tinubu equally asked them to cooperate with other West African countries on “challenges ranging from climate change to violent extremism to illegal pilfering of our precious natural resources.”
READ ALSO: ECOWAS makes volte-face, lifts sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger
Tibubu is the chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the organization. ECOWAS slammed economic sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
