The President of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari has said on Monday, September 28 that West African states are not ready to lift sanctions on Mali.
In the statement issued out, the president gave reason for the aforementioned, stating that it is “because the leaders of the August 18 coup have not yet satisfied all the demands for a handover of power to a fully civilian government.”
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it would lift sanctions, which have caused imports to the landlocked country to slump 30%, once a civilian prime minister was named, as was the case on Sunday, among other demands.
President Bah Ndaw, a retired colonel appointed president of the transition, named veteran diplomat Moctar Ouane as interim prime minister.
The former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan headed delegates of ECOWAS to Mali and thereafter briefed President Muhammadu Buhari, saying there were still “grey areas” to discuss.
The statement also read that heads of state from the region could confer again to discuss the outstanding issues.
Retired Colonel Bah Ndaw was sworn in as president last week, alongside with his vice president, Colonel Assimi Goita, who led the coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
