PRESS STATEMENT

The Deputy Chairperson Of the African Union Commission H.E Erastus Mwencha has paid tribute to the people of Mali for conducting a peaceful and democratic election. The Deputy Chairperson also thanked the international Community for supporting the Malian people following the coup d’état and during the crisis in the north of Mali, which threatened to plunge the country into a full-scale civil war.

He challenged Malians to press on with the unfinished agenda of national reconciliation and development issues.

The Deputy Chairperson was in Bamako attending the inauguration of H.E the President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and met with the Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Zahabi Ould Mohamed and the Minister of National Reconciliation in charge of the North, Mr. Cheick Oumar Diarra.
H.E Mr. Pierre Buyoya, formal President of Burundi who is heading the African Mission to Mali, accompanied H.E Mr. Mwencha.

Mr. Mwencha pledged the African Union continued support to Mali in the peace making, reconciliation and reconstruction.

African Union through AFISMA deployed a military force composed of more 7000 elements and H. E Mr. Mwencha reiterated that African Union would continue supporting Mali as defined by the Malian Authorities.

More than 19 Heads of State and Government, among them the French President François Hollande and the King of Morocco, H. M. Mohamed Hassan VI, attended the inauguration.