Bamako, July 23, 2020 – West African leaders gathered in Bamako on Thursday in a fresh push to end an escalating political crisis in the fragile state of Mali. Presidents Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and Macky Sall of Senegal were greeted at the airport by Keita, AFP journalists there saw. The West African leaders will weigh on proposed solutions that have been crafted in behind-the-scenes talks between the president and opposition this week. But the June 5 Movement had already rejected any outcome that did not involve Keita’s departure — a demand opposition leaders have repeated for weeks. “Nobody wants to open the door to a period of political instability in Mali, which remains the epicentre of the Sahel security crisis,” he added.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 23, 2020 11:15 UTC