The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has rejected December 2025 as the proposed date for elections in Mali.   

“ECOWAS noted the strong rejection by the PSC of the timetable submitted by the Malian authorities scheduling presidential elections by the end of December 2025, qualifying this chronogram as unconstitutional, impermissible, inappropriate and an obstruction to democratic process.” read the communique issued on January 24.

Two weeks ago, The Gazette reported that how ECOWAS imposed stiff sanctions on Mali over the country’s military junta’s failure to hold democratic elections next month as agreed after a 2020 coup.

The new election date has elicited a strong reaction from ECOWAS officials who said they were not consulted by the interim authorities before drafting the election timetable.

The communique emphasized that both parties have to be in agreement before a new election date can be chosen.

“ECOWAS notes that it was not consulted on any proposal for the timetable of the election. It reaffirms that as in the past, the timetable for the election will be agreed between ECOWAS authorities and Malian Transition authorities using the existing communication channels,” the regional bloc stated.

Mali’s assets in ECOWAS central bank have remained frozen and the African nation has also been suspended from receiving any financial assistance from other global institutions.

The West African community ended the communique by reiterating its willingness to find a lasting solution to the political crisis in Mali.