West Africa regional bloc ECOWAS on Saturday imposed an arms embargo against Guinea, accusing the ruling military junta for “mass human rights violations” during anti-government protests last month.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also threatened full sanctions on Niger if President Mamadou Tandja does not take immediate steps to resolve the country’s political crisis.
International pressure has increased for Guinea‘s military leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to step down after gunmen used live rounds against protesters in a stadium on Sept. 28. More than 150 people died and thousands more were wounded in the incident, according to a local rights group. The 15-member regional body said the violence in Guinea posed a "real threat to the peace, security and stability of the region."
"In view of the atrocities that have been committed … the authority decides to impose an arms embargo on Guinea under the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons," said the communique at an ECOWAS heads of state summit in Nigeria‘s capital Abuja. It was unclear how the group would enforce the embargo.
The United States, France and the European Union have called on Camara to resign and the International Criminal Court said Thursday it was investigating the killings.
Amnesty International issued a statement this week calling on the junta to free people swept up in a wave of arrests after the Sept. 28 violence. "All steps must be taken immediately to stop the spate of killings of innocent Guineans who are yearning for immediate restoration to constitutional order," said Nigeria President Umaru Yar’Adua, who is also ECOWAS chairman.
The regional body appointed Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore to lead a mediation team to seek talks between Guinea‘s political leaders to end the crisis.
