Africa Business Radio

West African leaders called for military-ruled Mali to hold elections in February and threatened further sanctions in January if Bamako fails to make any commitment towards returning to democracy. President of the West African ECOWAS bloc Jean-Claude Brou says the heads of state decided to keep the deadline of February 27, 2022, for elections in Mali adding sanctions would be imposed in January if Mali did not move to stage polls. The head of Mali’s transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita justified postponing the election and holding a national consultation which he said would be indispensable for peace and stability. Goita emerged as Mali’s strongman leader after a coup that toppled former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020