US says ECOWAS losing grip on Mali crisis
The United States government has said the failure of the ECOWAS mediation efforts to return Mali to constitutional order is “just providing space for more mischief in the north of Mali.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the US State Department that the peace deal negotiated by ECOWAS “appeared to be breaking down.”
“We thought we had a deal brokered by ECOWAS to return Mali to civilian government so that we could get to elections. We have concerns that the deal appears to be breaking down, it is not being honoured; of course, that’s just providing space for more mischief in the north of Mali,” said Victoria Nuland, State Department Spokeswoman.
The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS has said it needs US$15m to fund an intervention force in Mali and Guinea Bissau, where soldiers overthrew the civilian government on April 12 this year.
But the US has called for urgent action to be taken in Mali, warning: “If the situation were not dealt with decisively, it would lead to a spill-over effect. We have had concerns that if we cannot get back to civilian government, if we cannot get back to unity between Mali and security forces and a government that is constitutionally mandated, that this could, in fact, spill over.”
Meanwhile, the US has said it was working with ECOWAS to restore the constitutionally mandated government.
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