MOVE POWER TO TRANSITIONAL GOV’T, JUNTA TOLD

ABUJA Mali’s West African neighbours on Friday told the country’s junta to immediately transfer power to a civilian-led transitional government and hold elections within a year.

In exchange, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) committed to gradually lifting sanctions as Mali’s coup leaders complied with its demands, the regional bloc’s chairman said.

ECOWAS suspended Mali from its institutions, shut borders and halted financial flows with the country following last week’s ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, pictured.

The soldiers behind the coup are anxious to get the sanctions lifted and, as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the summit, released Keita on Thursday and allowed him to return home.

They also cut their proposed duration of a transition to democracy to two years from three.

Reuters