Welcoming the positive developments in the evolution of the situation in Mali, with the establishment of a civilian-led transition, the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) have urged the international community to continue to support the transition and enhance humanitarian assistance to the West African nation.

According to a joint statement on Tuesday, during their latest meeting on Monday, the AU Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) and the EU Political and Security Committee (EU-PSC) have discussed the situation in the Sahel region, Sudan and Somalia. 

They have welcomed the transition in Mali through the appointments of the President, the Deputy President and the Prime Minister, the formation of the Transitional Government and the release of all officials who had been detained on 18 August, in line with the respective decisions of the AU-PSC and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the adoption of the Charter of the Transition.

They encouraged the Malian stakeholders to place national interests above all else and to exert their efforts towards the successful implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali, emanated from the Algiers Process, and the Transition Charter, including the organization of credible, transparent and democratic elections within the stipulated time frame and measures to improve governance.

The AU-PSC and the EU-PSC have also urged the international community to continue to support Mali, particularly during this transition phase, and to especially enhance its humanitarian assistance to the country, given the gravity of the humanitarian situation, exacerbated by the outbreak of the global novel coronavirus pandemic.