“The mission remains concerned by the insufficiency of concrete actions in the preparation of the electoral process,” ECOWAS said in a statement at the end of a visit by an ECOWAS delegation led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mali's government has said it is conscious of its commitment to the electoral deadline, but some officials have also suggested it might not be respected.
“Technically, the timeline is not feasible, unless things are done sloppily, resulting in the usual post-electoral crises,” Bassirou Ben Doumbia, a political analyst, told Reuters.
Keita's overthrow was largely precipitated by Mali's security crisis, which has seen militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State extend their influence across the north and centre of the country.
Besides Mali, Chad and Guinea have experienced military coups this year, raising fears for democracy in a region that until recently had looked to have shed its “coup belt” moniker.