The head of Mali’s transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita, on Sunday promised West Africa’s regional bloc that it would prepare an election timetable by January 2022, reported Al Jazeera.
Colonel Goita said his decision to postpone the election and hold a national consultation was indispensable for peace and stability in the country.
“Mali… commits to providing you with a detailed timetable by January 31, 2022, at the latest that could be discussed during an ECOWAS mission,” Goita wrote in a letter addressed to Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Goita said his first priority will be the country’s return to constitutional order. He came out as Mali’s strongman after a coup last year that toppled former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The West African bloc imposed sanctions and suspended Mali after two military coups, one in August 2020 and one in May 2021. It sanctioned Malian officials deemed responsible for delaying elections and threatening further measures.
On Sunday, ECOWAS leaders warned that it will impose further sanctions if Mali’s military rulers failed to stick by plans for February polls.
During a summit held in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, Jean-Claude Brou, the president of the West African ECOWAS bloc, told reporters that the heads of state have decided to keep February 27, 2022, deadline for elections in Mali.
He added that sanctions would be imposed in January if Mali’s leaders did not head to conduct polls.
West African leaders held a summit in Abuja to discuss Mali’s failure and how to prepare to hold elections in the country by February 2022 before a return to civilian rule.
The bloc reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of peace, security, and democracy in the region as a prerequisite for the economic integration and development of the region.
The leaders appealed the international community to support the sanctions imposed on Guinea and Mali.
