x

BREAKING: Bah Ndaw sworn in as Mali’s transitional president following coup

Mali’s interim president, Bah Ndaw, chosen to head a transitional government following a coup last month, was sworn in during ceremonies in the capital Bamako on Friday.

A committee appointed by the junta which seized power on August 18, toppling president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, selected Ndaw, a 70-year-old retired colonel, as interim president.

Ndaw is due to lead a transition government for a maximum of 18 months before organising national elections.

Colonel Assimi Goita, who led the military junta, was also sworn in as interim vice president.

The ceremony on Friday took place in a theatre filled with officials dressed in military fatigues, senior judges, and foreign diplomats.

During the ceremony, Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor Boya Dembele said the challenges facing both men were “enormous”.

“It will truly require a reformulation of the state,” said the judge, dressed in red fur-lined robes.

The swearing-in comes as the fragile Sahel state’s neighbours have leaned on the military junta to appoint civilians as interim president and prime minister.

The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) slapped sanctions on the poor country on August 20 to push for a swift return to civilian rule.

A decision by the bloc on whether to ease the measure is possible on Friday, according to former Nigerian president and ECOWAS mediator Goodluck Jonathan.

“We are optimistic that this event will signal the beginning of the return to normalcy in Mali,” he said on Twitter on Thursday night, referring to the swearing in of interim-government leaders.

Last month’s coup followed weeks of mass protests against Keita, spurred by frustrations over a brutal jihadist conflict, perceived corruption and the country’s slumping economy.

Mali has struggled to quell an eight-year-old Islamist insurgency which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives.

RELATED POSTS:

BREAKING: Ba N’Daou named interim Mali president, junta leader named VP

Mali Coup: ECOWAS and Military Junta Agrees on 12 Months Transition

Buhari Attends Virtual ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit Over Mali Crisis

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalist As...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

Oborevwori, Senator Nwoko Hail Igbo Socio-Cultural Group for Tackling Identity Crisis

By Anne Azuka The Igbo Unification Movement, in collaboration with...

Tinubu Declares 9th National Youth Games Open in Delta

By Anne Azuka The 9th National Youth Games kicked off...

PAAU Gets NUC Approval for MBBS Program

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja The Faculty of Medicine at Prince...

Kaduna: London-Based Philanthropist, Andishu, Lauds Gov. Sani’s Security and Peace Model

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna London-based Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Moses...

Aliyu Flags Off 2025 Tree Planting in Sokoto, Urges Collective Action Against Desertification

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto Governor Ahmed Aliyu has launched the...

KGIRS Targets Over ₦3bn Monthly Revenue in 2026

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja The Chairman of the Kogi State...

Plateau Child Protection Network Raises Alarm Over Case of 5-Year-Old Bethel ‘Kawa’

By Israel Adamu, Jos The Plateau State Child Protection Network...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img