BAMAKO\u2014 Mali\u2019s interim authorities have proposed to its West African neighbours that a transition back to democracy following a 2020 military coup be extended by five years, the foreign minister said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The transitional government initially agreed to hold presidential and legislative elections in February 2022, 18 months after Colonel Assimi Goita led the overthrow of President Boubacar Ibrahim Keita.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It has made little progress since then, blaming disorganisation and a rash of violence.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A conference charged with recommending an election timetable said on Thursday the polls should be delayed by between six months and five years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Following a meeting with Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo, the chair of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mali\u2019s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said he had proposed the upper bound of that interval.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was retained was a duration of five years. That\u2019s the issue that was presented,\u201d Diop said in comments broadcast by the state-run television network.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s a question of indicating that this period, it\u2019s the maximum.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
An ECOWAS spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The organisation is struggling to hold the line against military coups in a region that until recently appeared to have shed its reputation as Africa\u2019s \u201ccoup belt\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Goita staged a second coup in May 2021 when he pushed aside the interim president that had taken over after Keita\u2019s removal and took the job himself. Guinea\u2019s military also overthrew President Alpha Conde in September.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on Malian officials for election delays and promised more if Mali did not produce a plan for February elections by the end of 2021.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mali\u2019s actions have also deepened tensions with former colonial power France, which has thousands of soldiers deployed across West Africa\u2019s Sahel region to battle armed groups.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BAMAKO\u2014 Mali\u2019s interim authorities have proposed to its West African neighbours that a transition back to democracy following a 2020 military coup be extended by five years, the foreign minister said.The transitional government initially agreed to hold…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n