Mali junta delays constitutional referendum:

Mali’s transitional government said it would delay a constitutional referendum set to take place this month, the first in a series of scheduled polls meant to restore democracy after a military takeover in 2020. The junta running the West African country pledged to hold presidential elections in February 2024 after pressure from regional powers to lay out an acceptable timeline for a transition to democracy. The March 19 referendum on a new constitution had been seen as an

indicator of the junta’s commitment to organizing polls on time, along with an electoral law passed in June. But authorities said they needed more time to get the electoral management authority up and running.