The Daily Graphic believes the Malian problem goes beyond the military junta, and that just like many West African and Sahelian Francophone countries, Mali is a Muslim–dominated nation, with a huge chunk of its population gravitating towards the marauding Islamists raiding from the North. For the paper, there can be no enduring or lasting peace in Mali, if ongoing negotiations remain bilaterally limited to ECOWAS and the military junta, as echoed loudly by the summit at Peduase.The Graphic envisages that ECOWAS leaders would wield a magic wand to resolve this political and security mess brought about by two coups in Mali in less than a decade. According to the paper, for a long lasting solution, ECOWAS leaders should go beyond enemy lines to broaden the scope of the ongoing negotiations to include leaders of Islamist groups holding sway in Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal and other areas.
The Ghanaian Times shares concern about the threats by the EU because according to the paper, the Union does not issue empty threats and one like this would result in huge losses that should be avoided, especially during this era of Coronavirus. The paper says, it has observed that the energy with which the fight against illegal mining was intensified about three years ago, has waned and it is almost as though the fight has been lost. It says the media continues to report seizure of equipment amongst other sanctions but the activity seems to have rather intensified because river bodies are getting more polluted, evidently from their goldish yellow colour. The Times says it knows frantic efforts have been made to improve the yield through the supply of inputs and equipment, as well as other incentives, including better pricing for farmers.
