Mali junta passes new electoral law

FILE PHOTO: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) flag is pictured during an extraordinary summit of ECOWAS to hear reports from recent missions to Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea following military coups in those countries, in Accra, Ghana March 25, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's military government on Friday passed a new electoral law, marking a step towards a return to constitutional rule amid regional pressure to hold elections since the junta first seized power in an August 2020 coup, a copy of the decree showed.

The West African country has been under harsh economic sanctions imposed by regional bloc ECOWAS in response to delays in returning power to civilians.