Malian government sets up mechanism for continuation of dialogue with ECOWAS
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken note of the Malian government's communiqué of 9 February on the mechanism for continuation of dialogue, an official source told PANA here Saturday.
The move affirms the commitment of the transitional authorities in Mali to work towards a return to normal constitutional order, said a communiqué from the Commission of the sub-regional organization.
The commission recalls that consultations at the technical level are currently being held between the transition authorities and the Transition Monitoring Committee comprising ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, Ghana and Nigeria, assisted by experts, on the timetable for the elections.
The ECOWAS Commission notes, however, that the working group at ministerial level has not yet been set up.
The Malian government announced on Wednesday 9 February 2022, in a communiqué, the establishment of a consultation mechanism as part of the continuation of the dialogue with ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the international community concerning the conduct of the transition in Mali.
This mechanism, the statement said, "aims to find a solution that reconciles the aspirations of the Malian people and the demands of the international community, particularly through the adoption of a consensual timetable" for general election in Mali.
The working group is coordinated by the Malian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Territorial Administration and Refoundation.
On 9 January, ECOWAS imposed heavy sanctions on Mali because the transitional authorities notified the sub-regional organization that it was impossible to hold the elections initially scheduled for 27 February next year, due, according to them, to the multi-faceted crisis still raging in the country.
The government, which had proposed an extension of the transition to four years, was rejected by ECOWAS, which considered this period too long, without however issuing a counter-proposal.
Mali requires a rapid action plan towards a return to constitutional order to lift the sanctions imposed on it.
-0- PANA GT/jSG/SOC/BBA/RA 12Feb2022
