By AFP More by this AuthorBamakoA West African delegation visiting Mali to push for a speedy return to civilian rule following a coup said it was "very hopeful" on Saturday after meeting with the country's military junta and the president it ousted. The head of the delegation from the regional Ecowas bloc, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, said that detained Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was doing relatively well. Good impressionA source close to the junta said the Ecowas envoys had made a "good impression". President Keita has been held at the base since the coup, along with prime minister Boubou Cisse and other high-ranking government figures. In a sign of the continuing challenge facing the country, four soldiers were killed Saturday by an explosive device in the centre of the country.

Source: Daily Nation August 23, 2020 06:33 UTC