The road to civilian rule in Mali where a military man heads the transition team remains bumpy.

Soldiers led a coup in August last year, promising to hold democratic elections in February 2022.

But the regional bloc –ECOWAS said on Tuesday that it feared potential delays in elections.

In a statement, the group said it remained "worried by the lack of concrete action" to prepare for the vote, which has been promised for February 2022 by strongman Colonel Assimi Goita.

The announcement came at the end of a three-day mission to Mali led by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.

Political analyst Ben Ephson in Accra says the delay was expected as the soldiers appeared bent on ruling the country.

He suggests that ECOWAS invites the soldiers to resign from the army and register to participate in the elections.

He believes that such option or a threat of renewed sanctions could make the interim leaders commit to holding the elections on time.