The Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have imposed individual sanctions on persons or organisations impeding the process for ending the crisis in Guinea Bissau.

At their Extraordinary Session held on 27 January 2018, they urged the Guinea Bissau parties to implement the Conakry Agreement, failing which individual and collective sanctions would be imposed, effective 1^st February 2018, on all such persons or organisations.

By Decision A/DEC.2.01/2018 signed by the ECOWAS Chairman, H.E. Mr Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Togolese Republic, and eager to restore democratic governance and ensure respect for the rule of law in Guinea Bissau, the West African leaders have imposed sanctions on several people in Guinea Bissau.

The affected persons include: Braima Camara, Rui Dia de Sousa, Soares Sambu, Abel da Silva Gomes, Manuel Nascimento Lopes, Eduardo Mamadu Balde, Maria Aurora Abissa Sano, Florentino Mendes Pereira, Orlando Mendes Viegas, Certorio Biote, Domingos Quade, Carlitos Barai, Domingos Malu, Antonio Sedja Man, Bacari Biai, Botche Cande, Herson Gougjabi Vaz, Victor Madinga, and Fernando Vaz.

The Committee, comprising Togo, Guinea and the ECOWAS Commission, put in place to monitor the implementation of the sanctions, reserves the right to amend the list of sanctioned persons depending on the evolution of the situation.

The sanctions include suspension from Community activities, travel ban and denial of visa for them and their family members, as well as freezing of their financial assets and that of their immediate families wherever they are.

The different sanctions are laid down in Supplementary Act A/SA.13/02/12 of 17 February 2012 on the imposition of sanctions against Member States that do not honour their obligations towards ECOWAS, and Article 45 of the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

As set out in this Decision, the Commission as well as the African Union Peace and Security Council, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, CPLP, European Union, and the United Nations are called upon to support ECOWAS in the implementation of the sanctions.

Abuja, 5 February 2018