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TOGO’S PRESIDENT OFFERS TO MEDIATE IN MALI CRISIS

TOGO’S PRESIDENT OFFERS TO MEDIATE IN MALI CRISIS
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Ekeomah Atuonwu

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé has agreed to serve as a mediator in the Malian political crisis, according to foreign ministers from the two nations.

Mali has been embroiled in a crisis since the military seized power in 2020, and the country has been under pressure to return to democratic rule.

AEM reported that tensions between the junta and international partners have grown, including a deterioration in Mali’s relations with its former colonial power, France.

ECOWAS, a West African regional bloc, has imposed sanctions on the country, including the freezing of its assets.

Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of Malian military junta, attends an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) consultative meeting in Accra, Ghana, September 15, 2020 /Reuters/

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop met his Togolese counterpart Robert Dussey in Lomé on Wednesday to seek Togo’s support in talks with the international community. The Malian minister also met with the President of Togo.

According to Mr. Dussey, his president and the Togolese government are “ready to facilitate a fruitful dialogue between Mali and the international community.”

Mali’s military leader, Assimi Gota, first took power in August 2020, following protests over the government’s handling of the country’s fight against a jihadist offensive.

In 2021, he staged another coup to depose the transitional civilian leaders, accusing them of failing in their duties and attempting to sabotage the democratic transition.

He was sworn in as interim president, and an 18-month timeline for presidential and parliamentary elections was agreed upon.

The elections that were scheduled for February of this year never took place, owing to the junta’s refusal to comply with international calls to hold elections as soon as possible.

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Ekeomah Atuonwu

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