Mali conference recommands delaying elections by up to five years, rfi.fr

A four-day forum in Bamako charged with recommending a timetable for a return to civilian rule has concluded that polls scheduled for February should be delayed by between six months and five years due to security issues.

Mali’s transitional government initially agreed to hold elections in February 2022, 18 months after an army faction led by Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew President Boubacar Ibrahim Keita.

But progress has been slow, with the junta blaming disorganisation and Islamist violence in the north and centre. As a result of the delay, Ecowas, West Africa’s main political and economic bloc, imposed sanctions on the coup leaders, and promised more if Mali failed to produce a plan for elections by 31 December.

After three weeks of discussions at a regional and national level, the 1,600 delegates at the National Conference on Reform in Bamako recommended elections be delayed by at least six months and up to five years. Läs artikel