Former Mali defense minister named interim president, with colonel as his deputy

Former Malian defense minister and retired colonel Ba N’Daou was named interim president on Monday. If all goes according to the military leadership’s plans, he would oversee an 18-month transition period for new elections and returning Mali to civilian rule.

The leader of the junta, Assimi Goita, was named vice president. The junta has come under intense pressure from neighboring West African nations to return power to civilians after last month’s coup that removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Regional neighbors had demanded a civilian interim president but told the junta that they could tolerate a soldier as vice president.

N’Daou was once an aide-de-camp [a role akin to a personal assistant or secretary, usually to a high-ranking military or government official] to Mali’s ex-dictator Moussa Traore, who died last week aged 83. The retired colonel was a defense minister under president Keita.

Goita made the announcement on state television channel ORTM. The junta intends to inaugurate its transitional government on Friday.

More to follow…

kbd/msh (AFP, Reuters)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/former-mali-defense-minister-named-interim-president-with-colonel-as-his-deputy/a-55007202?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf