While the government in Conakry has set January 2023 as the start date for the transition, ECOWAS believes it should begin immediately.
By Siddy Koundara Diallo
The 62nd Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held on December 4, 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria, delivered its major decisions concerning Guinea and the other countries in transition.
While the head of the Guinean transition had announced that the start of the 24-month timetable would begin in January 2023, the Conference of Heads of State of ECOWAS decided at the end of its 62nd summit.
While the sub-regional organization welcomed the consolidated 24-month transition timetable, covering the ten (10) priority points for the transition authorities, jointly with ECOWAS experts, it insisted that “the implementation of the 24-month timetable begins immediately and not at a later date,” as indicated by Guinean leader Mamadi Doumbouya at the end of last October, when the agreement was reached.
Gradual lifting of sanctions
The conference urges the Guinean authorities to hold a national dialogue including all political actors without exception, and to guarantee the security and freedom of all participants.
Heads of State and Government expressed their support for the dialogue and their willingness to facilitate hosting it in their countries, if necessary, ECOWAS said.
Furthermore, the conference instructs the Commission to support the inclusive national dialogue and calls on international partners to support the transition process with the necessary material, financial and technical resources.
This summit was not all bad news for the Guinean transition authorities.
Under ECOWAS sanctions from September 5, 2021, they will be gradually lifted according to the conference of heads of state.
At the end of the summit, it “instructed the President of the Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, to ensure compliance with the decisions relating to Guinea and to propose to the President of the Conference the gradual lifting of economic and financial sanctions imposed on the transitional authorities of this Member State,” ECOWAS said in its final communiqué.
SDK/cgd/fss/as/APA