STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ECOWAS COMMISSION ONTHE MOB ATTACK ON MR. DIONKOUNDA TRAORE, INTERIMPRESIDENT OF MALI

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 22, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ --ECOWAS has learnt with regret the mob attack on Mr. Dioncounda Traore, the,Interim President of Mali, at the Presidency in Koulouba, Bamako, around noon today.

ECOWAS is dismayed that a crowd of unruly demonstrators could so easily acess

the President, and physically attack him, despite the elaborate security

measures in place. The frequency with which these demonstrations occur, as

soon as ECOWAS takes a decision aimed at the restoration of constitutional

order in Mali, confirms that they are orchestrated by forces bent on impeding

the smooth progress of the transitional process.

ECOWAS strongly condemns this aggression, which it considers an affront to its

decisions. It will carry out the necessary investigations to identify the

perepetrators, as well as those behind them, of this reprehensible act, and will

apply the appropriate sanctions against them.

ECOWAS remains firmly committed to the pursuit of measures needed for the

restoration of constitutional order in Mali, and reaffirms its unflinching support to

the transitional authorities.

H.E. Désiré Kadré OUEDRAOGO

President of the ECOWAS Commission Abuja, 21 May 2012