The ECOWAS on Saturday said they will carry on monitoring events in Mali following a coup before deciding to lift its suspension, reported Africa News.
Mali announced a new civilian government and promised to pave the way to elections early next year, after the coup in May led by Colonel Assimi Goita. He also led a coup in August last year with other army officers to oust elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after weeks of mass protests over corruption and the long-running jihadist conflict.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Mali and imposed sanctions following the second coup.
“When you look at the situation, there were positive developments,” ECOWAS commission chief Jean-Claude Kassi Brou told reporters after an ECOWAS summit in Ghana’s capital Accra.
He said the ECOWAS member countries have decided to monitor the Mali government’s activities before lifting its membership suspension.
“At this stage, while they saw positive developments, they thought that due to the fact they want to see how firm progress is being made, the suspension is still maintained,” Brou said.
The ECOWAS commission chief said the heads of state want to be more reassured about progress before deciding on lifting the suspension.
Mali announced a new government earlier this month in which army figures retained key roles. Col. Goita led the coup in May this year over a government reshuffle that sidelined key army officers. Both the transitional president and the prime minister were forced to resign from their posts.
Following the coup, France, which has thousands of troops stationed in the war-torn country, suspended military cooperation with Mali. Paris also announced that it would call back its 5,100-strong Barkhane force that has battled jihadists in the Sahel since 2013.
Goita has vowed to restore civilian rule in the country. He appointed a civilian prime minister, in line with international demands, and said he would stage elections next February.
