Ba N’Daou, a former defence minister in Mali, has been named president of the country’s new transition government. Colonel Assimi Goïta, the leader of the Comité national pour le salut du peuple (CNSP, the “National Committee for the Salvation of the People”), which overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, has been appointed vice-president, state television has announced.
The transitional government is to be inaugurated on 25 September 2020.
Under a plan by Mali’s military leaders, N’Daou will be president for a year and a half before elections to return the country to civilian rule.
ECOWAS pressure
The announcement comes after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) cautioned that it would impose sanctions if Mali does not return to civilian rule.
ECOWAS leaders had set an ultimatum of 15 September for the handover, but it was not met by the military junta.
It is not known if the West African body agrees with the decision to instal a new president for the transitional government.
A group of 17 electors chosen by the military leaders appointed N’Daou and Goïta, both of whom will serve for 18 months.
Regional leaders had demanded that the interim president be a civilian, and said they would accept a soldier as vice-president as long as he was not eligible to replace the president.
Rare opposition praise
The opposition in Mali, which led months of protests against Keïta’s government, has praised N’Daou’s appointment.
The opposition is led by the influential Muslim leader Mahmoud Dicko.
However, Kaou N’Djim, a spokesperson for Dicko, described N’Daou as a man without any scandalous past.
“Ba is an upright official. He has never been implicated in matters of financial corruption,” he said.
E A Alanore
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