Mali - Q&A from the press briefing (25 Aug. 20)

Q : Do you believe that a short one-year transition period before new elections in Mali would be preferable to a longer transition that would prioritize eradicating corruption and implementing urgent reforms?

A: As President Macron said in Brégançon on August 20, France and its European and international partners have a collective presence in Mali at the request of the sovereign people of Mali and all the countries in the region. We and our partners have asked that power be returned as swiftly as possible to civilians and for guarantees of a swift democratic transition. France stands side by side with the people of Mali, as it always has, and supports discussions under way under the auspices of ECOWAS to determine the outlines of this transition.