Mali Junta Issues New Transition Roadmap

October 2, 2020

By Olorunwa Lawal

News Central

The military junta in Mali has published a charter for the transition period that establishes a procedure of handing over power to a civilian government.

The junta abandoned a controversial proposal that would have paved the way for its leader to replace interim President Bah Ndaw. The junta proposed that its head, Colonel Assimi Goita, replace the president of the interim government if the latter were incapacitated.

Colonel Goita is currently the interim government’s vice president.

But the leadership of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States frowned at the provision, insisting on clarifications on the transitional charter and the role of Colonel Goita before economic sanctions, it imposed on the West African nation after the August 18 coup are lifted.

Now that clause has been removed.

ECOWAS has demanded clarification of the role of the vice president, an office currently held by one of the coup leaders. As a result of this, the charter does not say that the vice president can vie for power even if the interim head of state is unable to discharge his or her duties.

On 12 September, the military approved the basic law and road map for the transition period after consultations with political and civil society figures. Both sides agreed that the transition period should last 18 months.

Former Defence Minister Ba N’Daou was appointed the president for this period and took the oath on September 25. Assimi Goita, the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (NCSP) was named vice president.

The military coup first started at a military base near the Malian capital of Bamako on 18 August. Keita and his government were ousted from power, and the military set up the NCSP as the ruling body.