Mali talks propose junta rule for three more years

Participants in Mali’s national dialogue on Friday recommended extending the military-led transition to democracy by three years and allowing junta leader Assimi Goita to stand in the eventual election.
The West African country has been under military rule since a coup in 2020, and tensions have risen over the junta’s failure to stick to a promised timeline for the return to constitutional rule.
Months-long nationwide consultations, which were boycotted by many of the opposition, culminated on Friday with a host of recommendations including the extension of the transition to five years from two, effectively prolonging the junta’s rule to 2027.
The substantial delay is likely to deepen concerns about democratic backsliding in West and Central Africa, where there have been eight coups over the past four years.