West African Leaders to Take Decision on Guinea Transition

(Bloomberg) -- West African leaders will meet in the Ghanaian capital Thursday to discuss Guinea’s transition back to constitutional rule after a Sept. 5 coup.

The Economic Community of West African States, which had already threatened to impose sanctions on Guinea, is holding a second summit after an elite army unit overthrew President Alpha Conde.

Seven heads of state from the region will convene in Accra to share “their expectation of a civilian-led transition” and discuss the timeline within which they would want that to happen, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told journalists Wednesday.

Conde, which remains in detention, was deposed less than a year after he secured a controversial third term in office. The bloc has called for his release. 

The coup follows an Aug. 18 putsch in neighboring Mali, which Ecowas continues to mediate. The 15-nation regional bloc temporarily blockaded Mali to mount pressure on the junta to cede power within 18 months and install a civilian to lead the transitional government. The Malian junta then carried out a second coup in May, having grown displeased with the civilians to whom they’d ceded some of their power.

“We’ve had Guinea, we’ve had Mali, we’ve even had an attempt in Niger, but the important thing is for us all is to continue to commit on the path towards democracy,” Botchwey said.

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