Panafrican News Agency

ECOWAS leaders to discuss Mali's modified four-year transition

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - West African leaders began a one-day extraordinary summit in Accra on Sunday to review a four-year transition period submitted to them by the head of Mali's military junta, Colonel Assimi Goita.

The chairman of the Economic Community of West African States and Ghana's president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, said this new transition period, submitted to him in a letter dated 7 January 2022, comes after a five-year period communicated by the Malian junta on 31 December 2021.

He recalled that during their last ordinary summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 12 Dececember, 2021 ECOWAS leaders reiterated their "strong concern" about the transition process in Mali and advised the authorities to respect the date of 27 February 2022 to hold elections.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the ECOWAS leaders indicated their intention to review by 31 December 2021 the state of preparations in Mali towards compliance with the agreed February 2022 deadline and restoration of the constitutional democratic order.

ECOWAS leaders stated at that meeting that if they were not satisfied with the state of progress by the transitionl authorities in Mali, "we will take additional sanctions to achieve  compliance".

Now, the five-year proposal has been modified to four years, President Akufo-Addo said.

"It is this decision that we are meeting to review to determine whether it complies with the agreement reached on 15 September 2020 and embodied in the Transition Charter and more fundamentally whether it conforms with the community principles as enshrined in the ECOWAS supplementary protocol on democracy and good governance," President Akufo-Addo said.

He added: "It is my expectation that we will take the appropriate decisions that will advance the future of Mali and our community."

President Akufo-Addo said national, regional and international stakeholders were awaiting the results of this meeting and expressed the hope that the outcomes of their deliberations will "contribute to promoting democracy and consolidating peace and security in Mali and our region".

-0- PANA MA 9Jan2022