MALI COUP: ECOWAS, CNSP MILITARY JUNTA FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT ON TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN RULE
Discussions between representatives of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS and the Military junta who staged last week’s coup that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali have ended without an agreement on when the country would return to civilian rule.
The junta who identified themselves as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People CNSP said on national television that they do not want to hold on to power and would transition to a civilian rule within a reasonable time.
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Reports say discussions between ECOWAS and the junta reached a stalemate as the regional leader pushed for an immediate transition to power while the military proposed a change to civilian rule in 3 years.
On day two of the negotiations, the military shifted its stance and proposed to stay in power for two years before transitioning to civilian rule.
However, the West Africa bloc insists on 7-12 months of military rule. Nothing has been decided, but the room for discussions are still open, and negotiations would continue virtually for now.
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The military also requested that ECOWAS lifts the sanction on Mali as a sign of goodwill.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Colonel-Major Ismaël Wagué, the spokesperson for CNSP said “we had discussions about the transition, the transition team, the transition president, the government. Nothing is stopped. Nothing is decided. We, at our level, the final architecture of the transition will be discussed and defined between us. We demanded, in view of the efforts that have been made, that they also see how to lift the sanctions.”
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