Mali’s newly appointed interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga announced an ambitious roadmap towards a return to civilian power in February 2022, reported Africa News. He made the announcement when he assembled his government for the first time on Sunday.
The meeting was called to set priorities for the West African nation including the improvement of security, political and institutional reforms as well as a roadmap for conducting the highly anticipated credible elections to return civilians to power in February 2022.
“We will consider the creation of a single independent electoral management body, universally requested by the political class and civil society,” Mali’s new prime minister said while addressing his government.
He added that legal proceedings following the killings and abuses against the victims of the events of July 2020 will also be initiated.
Maiga takes office at a time when the country has been caught up in jihadist insurgency and violence of all sorts for years. The security crisis goes hand in hand with serious political and social crises.
The Malian prime minister also recognized just how critical of a serious undertaking the moves of the military-dominated interim government will be over the next 8 months in order to salvage Mali’s democracy after two coup attempts in the last nine months.
The first coup in August 2020 ousted former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after weeks of mass protests over corruption and the long-running jihadist conflict. The second coup in May this year removed interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane from power over a government reshuffle.
Colonel Assimi Goitia, who led both the coups, was sworn in as the country’s new interim president last week. He has pledged to restore civilian rule in the poor nation of 19 million.
On Friday, Prime Minister Kaiga announced his new cabinet with military officers receiving the key ministries of defense, security, and national reconciliation.
