Mali Crisis: Impasse Lingers As Military, ECOWAS Transitional Govt Talk Ends In Deadlock

The political impasse that’s engulfed Mali for the past two weeks took a new turn on Monday after talks between West African mediators and Mali’s military junta on constitution of a transitional government reportedly ended in a stalemate.

An Envoy deployed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and led by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Mali on Saturday to negotiate the release of President Ibrahim Keita and the restoration of constitutional government.

Earlier, the junta had said it wants a military-led transitional body to hold power for three years.

But talks on Monday had reportedly focused on who would lead Mali and for how long “rather than the possibility of reinstating the President”.

Jonathan had earlier said they requested and were granted access to Keita.

“President Keita told us that he has resigned. That he was not forced to do so, “Jonathan had said.

“That he does not want to return to politics and that he wants a quick transition to allow the country to return to civilian rule.”

However, Ismael Wague, spokesman for the military junta, said mediators would report to regional heads of state ahead of a summit on Mali this week, adding that the final decision on the interim administration would be decided locally.

Also Read: Mali: Military Wants Three-year Rule, Agrees To Free President

He said he hoped the submission of their report would instigate lifting of the sanctions imposed on the country by the sociopolitical and economic regional group.

“There were discussions on both sides, given that at this stage nothing has been set down, nothing has been decided, and that as far as we are concerned, the final architecture of the transition will be discussed and defined by us,” Wague said.

“Mediators will discuss this with the heads of state so they can lift or at least ease the sanctions. Sanctions are not good for us or the population.”