EU sanctions prominent members of Mali's transitional gov't

The EU adopted sanctions against five Malian individuals on Friday for undermining the political transition in the African nation.

The bloc imposed restrictive measures against these five, including four prominent members of the transitional government, for their "actions that obstruct and undermine the successful completion of Mali's political transition," the Council of the European Union said in a statement.

The sanctions, which have been in the making since December, were announced shortly after the Malian government expelled the French ambassador and Danish troops from the country.

Under the decision, the individuals will not be allowed to travel to the EU and their European financial assets will be blocked, with EU operators now forbidden to make funds available to them.