Mali's president hands in resignation letter

BAMAKO - Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure has submitted his letter of resignation, Burkina Faso's foreign minister Djibril Bassole said here on Sunday.

According to Bassole, a mediator for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Toumani has given him a resignation letter.

The resignation letter follows the framework agreement signed on Friday between Mali's junta and ECOWAS that it would transfer power to the president of the National Assembly.

Mali's junta, which seized power on March 22, will hand over power to the president of the National Assembly, Dioncounda Traore, during the transitional period,  according to the agreement, which also covers the formation of a national unity government and the lifting of sanctions by the ECOWAS.

The ECOWAS had lifted sanctions against Mali on Saturday, one day after Mali's junta agreed on power handover.