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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat on Monday commended positive political developments in the West African countries of Mali and Guinea.
In a press statement, Mahamat said the adoption of electoral law in Mali, as well as the offer of dialogue made to political parties by the Transitional Government of Guinea, are two positive political developments in the region.
“In Mali, the adoption of the electoral law marks the crossing of an important step towards the holding of elections. I encourage all parties to continue the dialogue to iron out differences and ensure inclusiveness in the rest of the process,” Mahamat said.
Mali has been facing security, political and economic crises since 2012, with insurgencies, jihadist incursions, and inter-communal violence killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands of others in the country.
“In Guinea, the offer of dialogue made to political parties by the Transitional Government could be an opportunity to seize to build a Guinean consensus around major issues. It would be wise not to let this political opportunity go to waste,” the chairperson said.
Guinea is under the rule of a military junta since September when Lieutenant-Colonel Mamady Doumbouya announced that his forces had arrested President Alpha Conde and dissolved the government and national institutions.
However, Mahamat expressed his concern about the security challenges facing another West African country, Burkina Faso and called for stricter security measures to be done simultaneously with efforts to form a broad democratic and popular consensus.
Security in Burkina Faso has worsened since 2015 as attacks by suspected jihadist insurgents have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1.9 million others in the country. ■
