Mali Junta News Today

The two West African countries are run by military juntas that seized power in coups.

The announcement by came after the nation's military took the town of Kidal from predominantly Tuareg rebel groups.

Following a coup in 2020, the new military rulers in June ordered the UN peacekeepers out.

Mali's ruling junta faces a multitude of security challenges throughout the country and been playing down the situation in Timbuktu.

This will be the second time the junta postpones elections in violation of agreement with Ecowas.

The attack comes after an Al Qaeda-linked alliance announced last month it was blockading Timbuktu, the historic crossroads city of northern Mali.

The French language will become a working language as 13 national languages gain official language status following the new constitution passed on Saturday in Mali.

HRW noted that "amid the mounting abuses", the departure of UN peacekeepers at Bamako's demand "makes things worse".

The new constitution is the first major step in plans the military has invoked to justify continuing to govern until 2024 following the overthrow of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020.

Mali has been battling a security and political crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012.