Mali's military junta on Monday announced the leaders of a new interim government in the southern state, which will maintain strong military ties despite international pressure to recruit civilians after the uprising.
Junta Party leader Col. Assimi Goita has
said in a televised statement that former Defense Minister Bah Ndaw will become
interim president - while he himself will serve as vice president.
The announcement comes after the 15-member
West African group ECOWAS gave Mali's ruling officials "days" to
appoint civilian leaders, warning they would not lift sanctions on the country.
West African leaders imposed financial
sanctions on August 18 in the wake of a military coup that ousted President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The junta said last week that it would
prioritize the military over the transition.
Nanda, a 70-year-old retiree, was
appointed’ transition president by a junta-selected committee, Goita said
Monday.
"Each proposal has its advantages and
disadvantages," he said, referring to the choice between a civilian or a
military president.
He added that the committee had also taken
into account the "global perspective" when selecting Ndaw, with a
clear reference to pressure from ECOWAS, which has not yet commented on the
appointment.
- Helicopter Pilot -
Ndaw is a former helicopter pilot who was
once an aide to former Mali dictator Moussa Traore who died last week at the
age of 83.
He has since held a series of high-level
appointments: Air Force Chief of Staff, Director of Military Engineering, and
Deputy Chief of Staff of the National Guard, among others.
He later served as defense minister under
ousted President Kata.
An experienced soldier, Anne Dow trained
in the former Soviet Union as well as in the famous Ecole de Guerre in Paris.
Monday's announcement follows a three-day
forum with representatives of political parties and civil society earlier this
month, which outlined a roadmap for restoring civil governance in Mali.
According to a charter from the forum, the
transition president's goal is to rule the country for 18 months before
elections are’ held.
Delegates had hotly debated the role of
the military in the transitional government, with some arguing for the transfer
of power to civilians in line with the wishes of the ECOWAS wishes.
In Bamako, opinion on the nomination was
divided’.
"I would have liked to have chosen a
politician," said economist Ben Ali sociologist. Economist Ben Alley Toure
said.
But taxi driver Nouhoum Fombawas
satisfied.
"He is apolitical. He is also a
career soldier, he has been the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and he holds
senior positions in the military," he said.
Strict restrictions.
Mali's neighbors, worried that the
resistance could be in turmoil, are pressuring the junta to hand over power
quickly.
Two days after the uprising, ECOWAS
stopped financial and trade with Mali, except for basic necessities, drugs,
coronavirus fighting equipment, fuel, and electricity.
These sanctions could result in the
already severe economic downturn in the poor country, as well as a dynamic
jihadist insurgency and chronic interfaith violence.
It was the state's failure that rocked the
streets earlier this year, with months of protests and unrest leading to
military arrests of President Keita and the seizure’ of control.
Goita said the swearing-in ceremony would
be held’ on Friday.
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