President Akufo-Addo will on Thursday embark on a trip to the West African country of Mali.

This will be the first foreign trip after he announced restrictions including the closure of borders in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The president and his colleagues from Niger, Senegal and Ivory Coast have been tasked by the African Union to lead mediation effort to resolve the political impasse in Mali.

Opposition groups in Mali have been calling for president Keïta to stand down over his handling of Mali’s long-running violence by armed militant groups, an economic crisis and the disputed elections.

They have also rejected recommendations by the ECOWAS team for the formation of a unity government and reconstitution of the country’s top court which overturned the disputed legislative elections held in March.

They say their demand is simple - president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta must resign.

However, ECOWAS has said it will not support the removal of president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan who led an ECOWAS delegation to Mali said leaders must be elected and they should leave under constitutional processes otherwise there would be what he called "Banana Republics all over".

Mr Jonathan said ECOWAS cannot preside over the removal of an elected president, adding that not even the African Union or the United Nations can do so.