Mali wants to postpone democratic elections for up to five years

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Malian soldiers celebrate the takeover of a former French base in Timbuktu in December

Photo: FLORENT VERGNES / AFP

Mali's military-dominated transitional government wants to postpone the elections scheduled for February and thus the return to democracy for up to five years.

The Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop announced this to the West African community of Ecowas on Saturday.

The Ecowas wanted to send a mediator to Mali on January 5th, it said in a subsequent message.

Four days later, the confederation will hold an extraordinary summit on the situation in Mali.

Ecowas had already imposed sanctions on Mali's transitional government in November after it became clear that it was not adhering to the internationally negotiated timetable for democratic elections and a return to constitutional order.

The former French colony with around 20 million inhabitants has been led by a transitional government since a military coup in August 2020 and should present the schedule for the necessary steps to the elections by the end of October at the latest.

Ecowas had expressed himself on several occasions as "deeply concerned" about the slow progress.

Defense Commissioner: Check the end of the Federal Armed Forces deployment

Germany has around 1,300 soldiers stationed in Mali as part of the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma (= Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission of the United Nations in Mali) and an EU military training mission.

These Bundeswehr deployments are increasingly being called into question.

The defense commissioner Eva Högl demanded this Sunday that the engagement should be checked for a possible end.

“We have to analyze this ruthlessly.

And then this option should also be on the table, «said Högl.

However, "what our realistic goals are" must be agreed with the international partners.

Germany should play an active role in this and present an honest interim report.

Germany, France, Great Britain and other countries had recently sharply accused the rulers in the crisis state of Mali of bringing mercenaries from the Russian company Wagner into the country.

They regret "the decision of the Malian interim government to use scarce public funds to pay foreign mercenaries," said a joint statement circulated on December 23.

The EU states had openly threatened the country with an end to military and civilian engagement in the event of an order for the Russian company Wagner.

The government in Mali denies the recruitment of Russian mercenaries and speaks of Russian trainers.

Mali has seen three military coups since 2012 and is considered politically extremely unstable.

The country has also been troubled by Islamist terrorist groups for years.

oka / dpa