EU will send observation mission to Mali for elections

The European Union is deploying a 60-strong Election Observation Mission to observe the Presidential Elections of 28 July in Mali, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton announced here Friday.

She has appointed Louis Michel, a Member of the European Parliament and former EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Assistance and former Belgian Foreign Minister, as chief of the mission.

“This Election Observation Mission is a further stage in our efforts to assist Mali on the road to stability. The elections mark another crucial step towards the restoration of the constitutional order and the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Mali,” she said in a statement.