BY JIBRIL TURE

The U.S. government on Friday said it “acknowledges the announcement by Mali’s transition government of a 24-month transition timetable starting in March 2022.” Relaying the remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, State Department spokesperson “We urge the Malian transition government to make sustained, tangible action toward holding elections, including detailed benchmarks and the early adoption of the electoral law.” Mr. Blinked adds that  “Transparent and inclusive processes that respect diverse perspectives and fundamental freedoms are critical to building a strong foundation for the future.”

The U.S. government also said it “welcomes the commitment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to continued engagement with Malian authorities to support efforts to restore constitutional rule. We encourage Mali and ECOWAS to reach agreement in particular on a robust monitoring mechanism with tangible benchmarks for the remainder of the transition.”

The top U.S. diplomat finally “reiterates our commitment to support transition processes to foster a future of accountable democratic governance for the Malian people.”

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Mali is among several West African which have witness violent changes of government in the course of the past two years: Mali, Guinea-Conakry, and Burkina Faso.

In the case of Mali, not unlike that of Burkina Faso, the two regimes’ inability to deal with the frightful phenomenon of terrorist attacks was pointed to. Indeed, since the dismantling of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Mali has had to deal with the frequent invasion of armed Tuareg rebels who, after fighting in Libya, grabbed the available weapons and engaged in violent attacks in the northern region of Mali.