Brussels 04.02.2022 Mali: EU adopts targeted sanctions against five individuals: Malick Diaw, Ismaël Wagué, Choguel Maïga, Ibrahim Ikassa Maïga, Adama Ben Diarra, known as Camarade Ben Le Cerveau.

The Council decided today to impose restrictive measures on five individuals in view of the situation in Mali, following its decision of 13 December 2021 and recent developments in the country.

These individuals, which include prominent members of the Malian Transition Government, are responsible for actions that “obstruct and undermine” the successful completion of Mali’s political transition, the document underlines. The names are published in the EU Official Journal: Malick Diaw, a key member of Colonel Assimi Goïta’s inner circle; Colonel-Major Ismaël Wagué, a member of inner circle; Prime Minister since June 2021, Choguel Maïga, who led the Transition Government; Ibrahim Ikassa Maïga member of the strategic committee of M5-RFP; and Adama Ben Diarra, known as Camarade Ben Le Cerveau, is one of the young leaders of the M5-RFP.

The five designated people are subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories, and an asset freeze. Moreover, EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them, either directly or indirectly.

The EU continues to stand with the people of the Sahel and reaffirms its full commitment to strict compliance with the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law in Mali.

On 24 and 25 May 2021, the European Council adopted conclusions in which it strongly condemned the coup d’état which took place in Mali on 24 May 2021, and stated that the EU was ready to consider targeted restrictive measures. On 29 June the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2584 (2021), in which it also condemned the coup and called on all Malian stakeholders to facilitate a full political transition and handover of power to elected civilian authorities within the 18-month transition period. It also called on Mali’s transitional government to hold free and fair presidential and legislative elections.

On 7 November, ECOWAS deplored the lack of progress made in the preparations for the elections, decided to impose sanctions with immediate effect, and called on international partners to endorse and support the implementation of the sanctions.

On 13 December, the Council set up an autonomous framework for sanctions against those responsible for threatening the peace, security or stability of Mali, or for obstructing the implementation of its political transition.

On 8 January 2022, Mali’s Transition Authorities submitted to the ECOWAS a new calendar scheduling the conduct of the presidential elections for the end of December 2025, thus setting the duration of the transition for a total of five and a half years, contrary to the agreement reached with ECOWAS on 15 September 2020 and the commitment in the Transition Charter. In light of that, on 9 January 2022, ECOWAS decided to impose additional economic sanctions.