West African mediators told Mali's military coup leaders the region would accept a transitional government led by a civilian or a retired army officer for a maximum of 12 months, Nigeria's presidency said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Interim Government would then organize elections to restore full constitutional order," it said, following a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the head of delegation from the regional bloc that returned this week from talks with the military officers that led the Aug. 18 coup in Bamako.