BAMAKO — Mali’s caretaker president Dioncounda Traore will have his mandate extended beyond a 40-day period expiring Monday after the soldier who led Mali’s March 22 coup agreed to drop his objections to the move.

The accord between Captain Amadou Sanogo and mediators from the ECOWAS bloc of West African states keeps Mali’s fragile transition to civilian rule on track and could open the way for the arrival of peacekeeping troops from neighboring countries.

"I can tell you that a deal has been reached in principle," Sanogo told state television late on Saturday.

"Of course we have a certain number of accompanying measures to put in place and we will remain in (the capital) Bamako the time it takes to ensure that, after these discussions, the institutions of state are stabilized," he added. — Reuters