The president of Togo has agreed to arbitrate in the Mali situation.

Both countries' foreign ministers acknowledged that Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé has agreed to act as a mediator in the Malian political crisis.

Since the military seized power in 2020, Mali has been engaged in a crisis and has been under pressure to return to democratic leadership.

The junta and international partners have become increasingly tense, with Mali's relations with its former colonial power, France, deteriorating.

Ecowas, the West African regional group, has slapped penalties on the country, including asset freezing.

Abdoulaye Diop, the Malian Foreign Minister, met with his Togolese counterpart Robert Dussey in Lomé on Wednesday to seek Togo's cooperation in talks with the international community. The Malian minister also met with the President of Togo.

Mr. Dusty said his president and the Togolese government "are ready to facilitate a fruitful dialogue between Mali and the international community”.

Following protests over the government's handling of a fight against a terrorist incursion in the country, Mali's military leader Assimi Gota first seized power in August 2020.

In 2021, he organized another coup to depose the transitional civilian leaders, charging them with failing to fulfill their responsibilities and attempting to disrupt the democratic transition.

He was sworn in as acting president, and a deadline of 18 months was set for presidential and parliamentary elections.

The polls that were supposed to take place in February of this year never took place, despite the junta's defiance of international calls for elections to be held as soon as possible.