West Africa’s main regional bloc ECOWAS has enacted sanctions against military coup leaders in Guinea, demanding the immediate release of ousted President Alpha Condé and for elections to be held in six months. The West African leaders also called for elections in Mali by February of next year, saying those responsible for a coup there were holding up a transition to democratic rule. There have been multiple military coups in West and Central Africa since last year: in Guinea, Chad and two in Mali.