Bamako – Talks between West African envoys and Mali’s new military rulers on Monday failed to yield an agreement on how the country should return to civilian rule after last week’s coup, negotiators said. Deadlock on the key issue of civilian transition emerged after the fledgling junta denied it wanted a three-year handover period overseen by a soldier. ECOWAS has stood by Keita and called for him to be restored to office, but this issue seems to have elapsed. He told the envoys that he no longer wanted to return as president, both sides said. He wants a good transition so that the country will go back to a democratically-elected government”.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 25, 2020 14:03 UTC