Mali: Extension of Transition: A 5-Year Timetable Submitted to ECOWAS

Following the National Conference of the refoundation which recommended the extension of the transition from 6 months to 5 years, the transition authorities of Mali submitted to ECOWAS a timetable for the elections.


According to this timetable on which the heads of state of the regional organization must rule on January 9, the transition underway in Mali will end in January in 2026.


“The participants spoke in favor of extending the transition in order to be able to carry out structural institutional reforms and, consequently, allow credible, fair and transparent elections. The advanced deadlines vary from 6 months to 5 years ”.


This is one of the flagship recommendations of the National Refoundation Meeting held in Mali from December 11 to 30, 2021. The day after the end of the meeting, a draft resolution on the timing of the transition was drawn up by the panel of high personalities.


In this document published on social networks, it is stated that “out of the 20 administrative regions of Mali (i.e. 65%) spontaneously declared themselves in favor of extending the transition, with varying durations from one region to another and a average of the proposed terms of 32 months ”.


According to the same document, to hold the transitional authorities accountable for carrying out the resolutions essential to the re-foundation of the State; securing people and their property throughout the territory; the materialization of political and institutional reforms including the effective establishment of a single electoral management body; conduct the elections and ensure the necessary conditions of transparency, credibility, and acceptance of the results by all.



The forum thus decided that “the government is taking the time it takes to ensure security throughout the national territory before going to the elections”.


Also, they decided that the duration of the transition will be five (5 years) at most, starting from January 1, 2022, in order to meet the best conditions for free, transparent, credible elections, and acceptable to all, specifies the project. resolution on the timing diagram of the transition.

A 5-year timeline submitted to ECOWAS

The day after the end of the meeting, a Malian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation went to Accra. Objective is to submit the timing of the end of the transition to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, current President of ECOWAS.


“This is a 5-year timetable which was submitted to the current President of ECOWAS” declared Minister Abdoulaye Diop at the microphone of our colleagues from ORTM.


According to several sources, including journalist Malick Konaté, the commission dispatched by the President of the Transition to Accra to report on the recommendations resulting from the National Refoundation Assises, to the President of ECOWAS, proposed a timetable as follows: the planned constitutional revision in December 2023; the territorial elections in June 2024; the legislative and senatorial elections in May 2025 and the presidential election in January 2026.

According to Minister Diop, the 5-year timetable is a proposal and is debatable.


“It is this question which was presented but there are always possible discussions to be able to verify the content of the options which have been decided”, he suggested.

Also, he indicated that “the elements which were presented including a timetable will be the subject of sharing and examinations by all the Heads of State”.


The proposal to extend the transition does not come from the transition authorities but from the Malians, according to Minister Abdoulaye Diop.


“We have faithfully brought the results in relation to the national foundations of the refoundation, in relation to the duration of the transition”, he declared before adding that Mali remains open, available for discussions with ECOWAS in order to reach a consensual solution.


“We hope that in return, ECOWAS will be able to come to be able to engage in technical discussions with us to see to what extent we will be able to move forward with a consensual solution and the adoption of a timetable that can consecrate the return of our country in a normal constitutional order, ”said the head of the delegation dispatched by the President of the Transition to Accra, Ghana.

An extraordinary summit of heads of state on January 9

The heads of state of ECOWAS who have issued individual sanctions against the transitional authorities and who threaten to impose economic sanctions against Mali, will meet in extraordinary summit on January 9 in Accra.


They will rule on the situation in Mali, particularly on the timetable for the end of the transition which has been submitted to them. But before that, a delegation led by the Mediator for Mali, Goodluck Jonathan will be in Bamako this Wednesday, according to a press release from the organization.


“The ECOWAS commission takes note of the communication on December 31, 2021 of a draft timetable on the elections transmitted by a Malian delegation led by the Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs to His Excellency Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana,


Source: THE COUNTRY