ECOWAS envoy left Mali after inconclusive talks

The ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) mission left Bamako on Friday 25 February after inconclusive talks with the military junta over restoring civilian rule. 

During the course of the mission, mediator Goodluck Jonathan was unable to reach an agreement with the ruling junta on the duration of the new transition.

The visit came amid pressure on the ruling army, which seized power in 2020, to set a date for elections in Mali.

Last month, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the country, including a trade embargo, over delayed elections.

Mali’s junta has so far resisted international pressure to swiftly restore civilian rule, backing away from an earlier commitment to hold a vote by the end of February 2022.

On Monday, the country’s army-dominated legislature also approved a bill allowing the junta to rule for up to five years.