Keita’s
position was one of the highlights of the deadlocked talks between the military
junta now in control of the country and the ECOWAS delegation, led by Nigeria’s
former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Ousted
Malian President Boubacar Keita is no longer interested in returning to office,
as demanded by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States.
According
to reports, the talks between the two parties ended on Monday without a deal on
how the country should return to civilian rule.
While
the junta, which carried out a coup on Tuesday, is said to be interested in a
three-year transition timetable, ECOWAS demands a quick return to
constitutional rule.
The
August 18 coup triggered shockwaves among Mali’s neighbours, fearing that one
of the region’s most volatile countries would spiral into chaos.
ECOWAS
— the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States — sent a high-level
delegation to Bamako on Saturday, led by former Nigerian president Goodluck
Jonathan, to press its demands for the “immediate return to constitutional
order.”
The
talks have focused on the transition to civilian rule.
“There
were discussions on both sides, given that at this stage nothing has been set
down, nothing has been decided, and that as far as we are concerned, the final
architecture of the transition will be discussed and defined by us,” said the
junta’s spokesman, Colonel Ismael Wague.
Jonathan
said: “We have agreed on a number of issues, but there are some issues that we
have not agreed. So on those issues we told the military officers the thinking
of ECOWAS and we asked them to go and review.”
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