Malians approved changes in the constitution in Sunday's referendum with 97 percent of the vote, the West African country's electoral authority said on Friday.
Regional powers and Mali's ruling military junta—which mostly organized and backed the referendum—said it will pave the way to elections in February 2024 and a return to civilian rule.
Regional bodies and the United Nations see the referendum itself as an important test of the junta's willingness to stick to the transition and hold a nationwide democratic process, particularly at a time when Islamist militants are stepping up attacks.
The West Africa Sahel nation has struggled to find stability since a 2012 Tuareg rebellion. Northern armed groups that signed a 2015 peace deal, had called for a boycott of the referendum saying the process was "not sufficiently inclusive.”
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