Mali’s constitutional court on Friday named the post-coup junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita as the country’s transitional president, reported France 24.
According to the court’s judgment, Col. Goita would take on the responsibilities of the interim president to lead the transition process to its conclusion following his seizure of power earlier this week.
Notably, Col. Goita had already declared himself as the country’s interim president on Wednesday, two days after seizing power in Mali’s second coup in nine months. He also led the first coup in August last year that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Keita was forced out of power following mass protests over perceived corruption and his failure to control jihadist insurgency in the country.
The court said Friday’s decision was due to the “vacancy in the presidency” following the resignation of interim President Bah Ndaw.
Mali’s military detained Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on Monday, before releasing them on Thursday under the pressure of the international community after they resigned. Col Goita said that both men had failed in their duties and were seeking to sabotage the country’s transition.
Earlier on Friday, Col Goita defended his actions to arrest the president and prime minister. He said that the army had little choice but to intervene.
“We had to choose between disorder and cohesion within the defense and security forces, and we chose cohesion,” he said.
He said that a new prime minister would be appointed within days, and that election would still go ahead next year as planned.
The army officer made the announcement during a meeting with political and civil society leaders in Bamako. He asked those attending the meeting to support his preference of selecting a new prime minister from the opposition M5 movement, one of the main protest groups that led protests against former president Keita last year.
