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UN chief urges Mali gov’t to announce ‘acceptable’ vote timetable (Al Jazeera)

The United Nations chief has called on Mali’s ruling military to announce an election timetable amid anger about its suggestion of staying in power for five years before holding a vote. “It is absolutely essential that the government of Mali present an acceptable election timetable,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Thursday. He said he hoped […]

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Mali’s ruler urges ECOWAS to reconsider ‘inhumane’ sanctions (Al Jazeera)

Mali’s military ruler Assimi Goita has said Bamako is open to dialogue after the 15-member West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, imposed additional sanctions on the troubled Sahel country over delayed elections. Military commander Goita seized power last May – the second time within a year – attracting sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). […]

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Mali ‘strongly condemns’ ECOWAS sanctions; closes land borders (Al Jazeera)

Mali’s military-dominated government has “strongly” condemned “illegal” sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), adding that it has closed its land borders “with the states concerned”. On Sunday, ECOWAS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) imposed a raft of economic and diplomatic sanctions in response to Malian military […]

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West Africa bloc ECOWAS hits Mali with sanctions after poll delay (Al Jazeera)

West Africa’s main regional bloc will close borders with Mali and impose sweeping economic sanctions in response to delays holding promised elections after a 2020 military coup, the bloc has said. The announcement on Sunday followed an extraordinary summit of the leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Ghanaian capital Accra […]

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West African leaders to discuss Mali crisis after coup d’etat (Al Jazeera)

West African leaders are gathering to discuss Mali’s political crisis with the military government about submitting a new timeframe for a transition back to civilian rule at the last minute after its first proposal was rejected. The extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc on Sunday in Ghana’s capital Accra […]

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Russian troops deploy to Mali’s Timbuktu after French exit (Al Jazeera)

Mali’s army spokesperson has said Russian soldiers have deployed to the northern city of Timbuktu to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month amid persistent insecurity in a country where large swaths of territory are out of the government’s control. Russian troops deploy to Mali’s Timbuktu after French exit | News | […]

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Can democracy return to Mali? (Al Jazeera)

Mali was supposed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next month but the military-led government has pushed that back by up to five years. Army Colonel Assimi Goita, who staged two coups in less than a year, has blamed continuing insecurity in northern Mali. Major political parties have condemned the delay, and the West Africa […]

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Mali opposition rejects election delay in new transition plan (Al Jazeera)

A major coalition of political parties in Mali has rejected the military-dominated government’s plan to extend a transition period for up to five years before the country returns to democratic rule. The coalition, known as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), said in a statement on Sunday that the “unilateral and unreasonable” timetable […]

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US removes Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from AGOA trade programme (Al Jazeera)

The United States has cut Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea out of a duty-free trade programme over alleged human rights violations and recent coups. In a statement on Saturday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said it terminated the three countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) “due to actions taken by each of their governments […]

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Mali proposes five-year election delay to West African bloc (Al Jazeera)

Mali’s interim authorities have proposed to its West African neighbours that a transition back to democracy following a 2020 military coup be extended by five years, the foreign minister said in comments broadcast on Saturday. The transitional government initially agreed to hold presidential and legislative elections in February 2022, 18 months after Colonel Assimi Goita led the overthrow of […]

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Eight soldiers killed in Mali attack, army says (Al Jazeera)

Eight soldiers have been killed and seven others were injured when their patrol was ambushed by a suspected armed group in western Mali, the army said in a statement. The attack occurred late in the afternoon on Wednesday near the town of Nara, about 30km (19 miles) south of the border with Mauritania. Eight soldiers […]

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Mali launches four-day forum on return to civilian rule (Al Jazeera)

Mali’s military-dominated government has launched a four-day national forum on returning the country to civilian rule following the country’s August 2020 coup. The authorities are showcasing the “National Conference on Reform” as a chance for the public to foster change, but main groups have already lashed the project and said they will boycott it. Mali […]