(3 minutes)
· West African leaders are determined to get the military junta in Mali to respect a timetable to appoint a transitional president and prime minister among civilians
· The conference of the grouping reaffirmed its determination to ensure a rapid return to constitutional order in Mali, with a political transition led by a civilian President and Prime Minister for a period of 12 months
Meeting in Niamey, Niger, the West African leaders are determined to get the military junta in Mali to respect a timetable to appoint a transitional president and prime minister among civilians.
The conference of the group reaffirmed its determination to ensure a rapid return to constitutional order in Mali, with a political transition led by a civilian President and Prime Minister for a period of 12 months, said Jean-Claude Brou, president of ECOWAS commission in a statement issued after the meeting.
The transitional President and Prime Minister must be appointed no later than September 15, 2020, the statement lamented. A group in military overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on 18 August, ECOWAS countries have not lifted the sanctions taken against Mali after the coup d’état, which led to closure of borders, and embargo on financial and commercial exchanges.
