Col. Assimi Goita, head of the transitional government in Mali, promised to provide a timetable for elections to the region’s bloc by January 2022.
After Mali’s military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended it, sanctioning officials deemed responsible for delaying elections and threatening further action.
A summit of West African leaders was held on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, with the discussion focused on how to respond to Mali’s failure to hold elections by February 2022 before returning to civilian rule.
But before the meeting, Goita wrote to the ECOWAS head, the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, saying that a national consultation necessary for peace and stability was the reason for postponing the election.
“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. “The return to constitutional order is and will remain my number one priority.”
In August 2020, Goita became Mali’s junta leader after a coup toppled former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The consultation launched on Saturday is being boycotted by several civil society organizations.
At the summit, ECOWAS also discussed vaccine supplies, travel bans on African countries, and Guinea, which has been under military rule after a coup ousted former president Alpha Conde in September.
Meanwhile, the Mali junta opened a bank account titled “Support for the Transition” on December 3, 2021, following requests from Malians, both inside and outside, eager to provide their financial support to government actions to ensure a successful transition.
The funds will be used primarily in support of the Defense, Security, and Social sectors, assuring the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, government spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga.
The fund will be managed by a management committee attached to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance will also regularly inform the population about the status of the account, which will also be available on its website www.finances.ml.