MALI: Coup leader Goita declared transitional president

By: Ollus Ndomu

Mali’s constitutional court, Friday declared leader of the post-coup junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, as the transitional president.

The court judgement gives Goita to “lead the transition process to its conclusion,” after he seized power last week.

Goita seized power from transitional president Bah Ndaw early last week following what he called an illegal cabinet reshuffle in the country’s interim government.

The court justified its ruling saying it was occasioned by the “vacancy in the presidency” after caretaker president Ndaw resigned amidst building military pressure which saw him and other members of the transitional government arrested briefly.

Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested and detained by soldiers on Monday and were released, Thursday after giving up power.

Monday’s twin arrests stirred a diplomatic uproar as the West African country recorded a second military coup in a year.

Former caretaker president Ndaw and PM Ouane were installed to lead a transitional government as the country prepared to return to civilian rule after last August’s coup which ousted democratically elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Soldiers led by Goita ejected Keita from power at the height of urban protests against government corruption and the jihadist insurgency.

After a successful coup, Goita now boss became vice president while other key government positions went to fellow army officers.

Following a cabinet reshuffle in the transitional government, Goita was left with no choice but to do what he thought was right.

“We had to choose between disorder and cohesion within the defence and security forces and we chose cohesion,” Goita said Friday.

The Goita-led interim government is yet to name the new prime minister within days.

Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Bamako, the new leader urged civil societies and political figures to support his choice of a prime minister which will come from the opposition M5 movement.

“Either we accept joining hands to save our country, or we wage clandestine wars and we will all fail,” he said.

The M5 Movement is powerful opposition which engineered mass urban protests against former president Keita but was later sidelined by the military which seemed to be an ally weeks before the August coup.

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Ollus Ndhomu

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