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The court of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on Thursday ordered the suspension of the eight-nation body’s sanctions against Mali, UEMOA’s spokeswoman said.
“The decision was rendered this morning. It is a suspension measure pending a detailed ruling of the court,” spokeswoman Aminata Mbodj told newsmen.
Recall that UEMOA ordered all financial institutions under its umbrella to suspend Mali in January after the country’s ruling military junta chose to postpone elections meant to restore democracy following coups in 2020 and 2021.
Mali’s access to regional financial markets was cut off as a result of the sanctions. The Malian government has repeatedly requested that the restrictions be repealed, and last month filed a legal complaint with the UEMOA court.
The interim government has warned that the penalties will have serious consequences for the people, and has blamed them for debt defaults totaling $180 million since January.
The court’s decision has no bearing on the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sanctions against Mali issued in January, which included the freezing of Malian state assets, the closure of its borders, and the suspension of non-essential financial activities.
