Mukaila Ola
Africans Rising Movement has called for the annulment of all sanctions place on Mali after the overthrow of democratic rule by the military.
Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity is a pan-African social movement of over 30,000 members working to foster an Africa-wide solidarity and unity of purpose of the peoples of Africa
In a statement on Saturday, the movement said it was gravely concerned about the situation developing in the Republic of Mali, adding that “the use of military power to oust democratically-elected governments in the country and the recent imposition of economic sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have grave consequences for people in the country.”
The movement said “the economic sanctions in their design are poorly targeted, making the conditions of daily life more difficult, especially for the most vulnerable people whose jobs and livelihoods are threatened on a daily basis.
“At the same time, the extension of military rule imperils the possibilities of democratic elections. As a Pan-African movement, Africans Rising continues to believe in the ideals of an African democracy that serves the interest of its people. While the promise of a transition to democracy has kept many Malians and the country’s allies hopeful, these recent developments could put that all at risk now.”
“Africans Rising continues to stand in solidarity with the Malian people and activist groups fighting for democracy and for better and peaceful livelihoods in these trying times. We amplify their calls for all foreign forces to leave Mali to pave way for the unity of the country,” the movement added.
“What we do not want is Mali to become the battleground for foreign forces using proxies to fight their own wars and imperilling the lives of the people and the future of the region”, Coumba Toure, Africans Rising Movement Co-coordinator, said, adding that: “We strongly condemn the imposition of these sanctions on Mali by the ECOWAS bloc and the international community.”
She said: “We do not want to see the historical country of Mali put in a situation of war mainly because of its natural resources and the greed of a few. We call on ECOWAS to be proactive in calling for the unification of Malians and helping to resolve insecurity”.
The statement added that: “Africans Rising calls on The African Union, United Nations, and other international bodies to join our appeal for ECOWAS to revoke the sanctions imposed on the people of Mali. We urge them to stand with the people of Mali in their call to be freed from the intervention of ECOWAS sanctions and the continued involvement of neo-colonial powers in the way their country is governed and the manner in which they continue to be heavily vested in the mineral resources of the country for their own gain.
“We want the people of Mali to live in a country anchored in the principles of inclusive democracy, free from the fear of religious fundamentalist rule, free from the exploitation of foreign powers and free from corruption either by civilians or military.”