Eurasia Press & News
he United States signalled on Monday that it was prepared to resume aid to Mali following a presidential election that paved the way for the return of a democratically elected government.
Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson at the State Department, hailed the strife-torn country’s interim government for “securing a peaceful and orderly environment in which Malians were able to vote”.
Former Malian finance minister Soumaila Cisse has conceded defeat against ex-prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The vote was aimed at providing a fresh start for the west African nation following more than a year of political turmoil, including a military coup and war.
While urging patience in the formal ballot-counting process in the run-off between the top two contenders, Harf suggested that a resumption of US aid was likely.
“We’ve made clear that following the return of a democratically elected government, we will seek to normalise our foreign assistance to Mali,” she told reporters in Washington.
