The colonel who led a military coup in the West African nation of Mali this week is now officially the country’s leader.
Mali’s Constitutional Court issued a judgment on Friday declaring Colonel Assimi Goita assuming the presidency.
The ruling gives Goita the power to lead the interim government and “lead the transition process to its conclusion.”
The judgment noted “the vacancy of the presidency of the transition following the resignation of Mr. Bah N‘Daw”.
President N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane resigned after being held for several days this week in a coup staged by Goita, who then quickly declared himself president.
The trigger for the coup was the army’s anger over a cabinet reshuffle that saw two senior officers dismissed from their posts.
Last August, these soldiers were part of a coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita from office after nearly seven years. This takeover nine months ago was also led by Goita.
This culminated in an interim government led by transitional president N’Daw, who had served as defense minister from 2014 to 2015 and held several other military posts, with Goita assuming the vice-presidency.
(NAN)