Mali’s coup has said it will appoint a new prime minister in the coming days Mali News

Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goita has said he will appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, in his first statements since taking office this week.

An announcement made by the army officer on Friday at a meeting with political and social figures in Bamako, the AFP news agency reported, is increasing international pressure on the country’s military government administration.

Soldiers arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on Monday, before being released on Thursday, following his resignation.

But the twin arrests caused a diplomatic uproar, and signaled an apparent second coup within a year in an unstable country.

August coup

Ndaw and Ouane led a transitional government responsible for directing the return to civilian government last August after a coup that ousted Mali’s elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The young officers of the Keita army, led by Goita, were forced out because the perceived corruption and bloody revolt had not been thwarted after massive protests.

“In the coming days, the prime minister-designate will hold a wide-ranging consultation between the different factions,” Goita said on Friday.

He called on those attending the meeting to prioritize a prime minister of the opposition M5 movement, a once powerful group that the army had abandoned after the August coup.

“Either we support joining hands to save our country, or we are waging clandestine wars and we will all fail,” Goita said.

The transitional government, installed under the threat of regional sanctions, aims to restore full civilian power within 18 months. But the appointments were heavily influenced by the military.

Goita, who chaired the post-coup junta, was named vice president and other key positions were given to army officers. The colonel’s office says the country is headed again after the president and prime minister step down.

On Friday, Goita explained that the army had little choice but to intervene.

“We had to choose the disorder and cohesion between the defense and security forces, and we chose cohesion,” he said.

The arrest of Ndaw and Ouané led to a government reshuffle that would replace the defense and security ministers and came hours later, both army officers who took part in last year’s coup.

Worried neighbors

Mali’s political unrest has worried residents of the country, and has led to efforts to alleviate the crisis.

Diplomats told AFP on Friday that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would discuss the situation in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Sunday.

The 15-nation bloc has warned the country to reintroduce sanctions; Just like the United States and the former French colonial master.

However, it is feared that the sanctions will further destabilize the nation of 19 million people, people who have been fighting armed groups since 2012.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, for its part, has accused Ndaw and Ouane of being released on Friday, but has pressured Mali to eventually hold “democratic elections.”

Goita wants to appoint a member of the June 5 Movement (M5-RFP) group as prime minister, some say in a move that could ease military pressure.

The M5 led protests against Keita in 2020, but was left out of key positions in the administration of the military coup.

Approaching the group can serve to soften foreign and foreign criticism of the military.

The International Crisis Group has said that an M5 prime minister could alleviate international concerns and that the movement itself appears ready to work with the army.

Group spokeswoman Jeamille Bittar told a news conference on Friday that the M5 will present one of its cadres, Choguel Maiga, as prime minister.

“We all need to come together around the new government,” he said.

In Bamako, there has been almost no opposition to the last game of military power. Most are tired of accepting his role in politics.

Some have seen it with a good eye. Hundreds of people marched in support of the army on Friday in a central square of the city, with numerous portraits of Goita.