On Monday, Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goita was inaugurated in as the country’s interim president, though he promised elections in early 2022.
His appointment comes after he launched his second coup in nine months in May, despite international condemnation of the takeover.
Goita fired the transitional civilian president and prime minister on May 24, prompting former colonial power France to halt military cooperation.
Mali’s membership in the African Union has also been suspended.
On Monday, however, Goita reassured the international community that Mali would honor its commitments and expressed his desire to hold “credible, fair, and transparent elections within the scheduled deadlines,” i.e. February 2022.
Mali’s membership in the African Union has also been suspended.
On Monday, however, Goita reassured the international community that Mali would honor its commitments and expressed his desire to hold “credible, fair, and transparent elections within the scheduled deadlines,” i.e. February 2022.
Following the August coup, the new administration promised to revise the constitution by October and hold elections in February 2022.
The international community is currently waiting to see if elections will be held at that time.
Mali is critical to the Sahel region’s stability, which is beset by Islamist organizations.
Maintaining foreign alliances is critical for Mali, which is one of the world’s poorest countries with underfunded security forces.
Choguel Kokalla Maiga, a former minister and member of the M5 protest movement, is expected to be named as Goita’s prime minister. The M5 helped to force out former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last August following mass protests over perceived corruption and a bloody jihadist insurgency.
M5 was marginalized in the army-dominated post-coup administration, which was dubbed a “disguised military regime” by M5.
Since the coup on May 24, however, there has been a marked rapprochement between the group and the army.
Maiga, 63, insisted on Friday that his country will uphold its international duties and paid tribute to French soldiers who had died in the country.
