ECOWAS evaluation mission on transition in Mali ends
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - A high-level mediation mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, ended a three-day working visit to Bamako on Tuesday.
In the communiqué read by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, General Francis Behanzin, the mission recalled the importance of respecting the February 2022 date of the elections in the country in order to show the credibility of the transition process.
Also, the envoys encouraged the transitional government to quickly present a timetable, reforms and priority actions that must be undertaken for the holding of presidential and legislative elections.
These include, particularly, the consensus on the legal framework to be used for the elections, the preparation of the voters' list, the choice of the body or structures to conduct the elections.
They urged the socio-political actors to work together in this transitional period in order to guarantee the success of the process.
Reiterating ECOWAS' commitment to accompany Mali for a successful transition, the mediation called on multi- and bilateral partners to continue to support the transition process, particularly in the preparation for the elections.
The mission was part of the implementation of the recommendations of the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government held on 19 June 2021 in Accra on the situation in Mali.
The mission was also to provide ECOWAS' support for the effective implementation of priority actions contained in the government's action plan presented a month ago by the Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, to the National Transitional Council (CNT), which acts as the legislative body.
At the end of the visit, the mediation mission congratulated the Malian government for the relative calm observed in the country since the installation of the second government.
It also took note of the lifting of restrictions on the ousted interim president, Bah N'Daw and the Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane, who had been kept under house arrest since their arrest on 24 May.
However, it expressed concern about the lack of concrete action in the effective preparation of the electoral process.
On the suspension of Mali from ECOWAS, it indicated that the lifting of this decision falls within the competence of the Conference of Heads of State on the basis of the evaluation reports on the transition process which should lead to elections.
During its stay, the mission met with the Transition authorities, in particular the President of the Transition, Colonel Assimi Goita, Prime Minister Maiga, the diplomatic corps, the local Transition Monitoring Committee and all stakeholders in the transition process including political parties and civil society organisations.
Mali has been suspended from all bodies of the sub-regional organisation since the first coup d'état of 18 August 2020, which ousted the regime of Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita.
-0- PANA GT/JSG/BBA/MA 8Sept2021
