Mali’s political crisis remains unresolved after the country’s coup leaders and those from the regional bloc, ECOWAS failed to agree on a new poll date.
The West African nation has been under harsher sanctions from ECOWAS and the European Union after interim President Assimi Goïta and his team prolonged the transitional period.
There were plans for elections this year but the coup leaders wanted at least four years in power which was rejected by ECOWAS leaders.
New sanctions on the country sparked protests from citizens after their leaders denounced the sanctions as Western-inspired.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan who is the mediator for the Mali political crisis this weekend ended a two-day visit to Mali.
In a statement ECOWAS said its mediator left Mali without any agreement on a date for elections to return the country to civilian rule.
Mr. Jonathan was hoping to secure a date for free elections after rejecting the initial proposed five years from the coup leaders considered too long.
Mali’s military leaders carried out a coup in August 2020, deposing then President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
A transition team led by the military has been ruling the country since then and was given a deadline of February 2022 to hold fresh elections.
But the military junta headed by current President Assimi Goita proposed holding elections only in five years, time.
The transitional government said the delay in holding elections is due to state of insecurity in Mali, making it impossible to hold elections this year.
A coalition of major political parties in Mali has already released a letter rejecting the earlier five-year plan by the soldiers.
ECOWAS leaders said they will only lift these latest sanctions once Mali’s military leaders agree on a better time table towards returning it to civilian rule.
Mali’s military leaders now want a four-year transition period
Source: Africafeeds.com
