AU Commission Chairperson meets Malian leaders
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Tuesday met the leader of the transition in Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita and Malian Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, at separate meetings in Bamako.
Mr. Faki Mahamat was on a visit "to learn about the situation in Mali", which was on 9 January slapped with severe sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for failing to respect an agreement to hold elections by 27 February.
An official statement quoted Mr. Mahamat as stating: "We cannot talk about Africa without Mali."
He added that the Malian people are counting on the AU to get out of the crisis triggered by two coups staged by Col. Goita in one year and the decision of the junta to extend the transition period to five years, which was later reduced to four years.
"We are convinced that with you, with those of ECOWAS, we will find the way to an agreement so that Mali occupies the place it should never have left in the West African and African community," Mr Mahamat said.
The Malian Prime Minister explained that the extension of the transition was decided by Malians, during the National Refoundation Conference (ANR), to allow the Malian government to complete priority projects.
"We ask the international community to respect the sovereignty of our country, to respect the higher interests of the country," said Mr. Maiga.
From the Prime Minister's Office, the AU delegation went to the presidential palace in Koulouba to meet Colonel Goita.
After the meeting, Mr. Mahamat said that he was on a mission to listen, to inform himself and to have an exchange with the authorities on the ongoing transition process.
Referring to the ECOWAS sanctions, endorsed by the AU, he said that the most important thing is to see how to support the Transition in Mali, "to exchange on a consensual approach that can preserve the fundamental interests of this great African country and in accordance with the texts that govern the sub-regional and continental organisations".
According to the Malian presidency, Mr. Mahamat urged that account be taken of the particular situation in Mali that has been facing a security crisis for the past 10 years.
"We are mobilising the continent and its partners to support Mali and overcome this crisis and establish a strong state in the interest of the Malian people, the region and the continent as a whole," the AU Commission chairperson said.
The ECOWAS economic and financial sanctions include the closure of borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali, the suspension of all commercial transactions between ECOWAS countries and Mali, and the freezing of Mali's assets in ECOWAS central and commercial banks.
In a communiqué issued on 14 January 2022, at the end of a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), an appeal was made to the Malian transitional authorities and ECOWAS to work together to address the outstanding points of divergence with a view to facilitating Mali's return to constitutional order within an appropriate and feasible time frame, not exceeding 16 months.
Thus, the continental organisation "requests the Chairperson of the Commission to engage quickly and directly with the Malian transitional authorities and all stakeholders, including ECOWAS, with a view to finalising a more practical electoral timetable that will be acceptable to all Malian stakeholders and that will lead to a rapid return to a civilian-led government".
-0- PANA GT/JSG/BBA/MA 26Jan2022
