| schema:articleBody
| - As military strongman Colonel Assimi Goita is sworn in as Mali's new president, we look at events in the troubled West African state after a second military coup in nine months. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is overthrown in a military coup on August 18, 2020, after months of protests sparked by perceived corruption and failure to quash jihadist violence in the former French colony. The following day Colonel Assimi Goita emerges as the country's new military strongman. The coup is roundly condemned by the international community and the West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, imposes sanctions. The junta bows to international pressure on September 12 and vows to allow full civilian rule within 18 months. On September 21 former defence minister Bah Ndaw is made interim president with Colonel Goita as his vice president. A fortnight later a government is formed with the military holding the key posts. ECOWAS lifts its sanctions. On April 15 the dates of presidential and parliamentary elections for a civilian transfer of power are set for February and March 2022. With discontent with the military growing, the government of prime minister Moctar Ouane resigns on May 14. But he is put straight back in charge and 10 days later forms a new interim government, dropping some military figures from key posts. Army officers unhappy with the reshuffle promptly arrest Ouane and president Ndaw. The international community demands their release with France warning that the European Union could impose sanctions. Colonel Goita says he stripped the pair of their powers for trying to "sabotage" the transition. He says elections will be held in 2022. As the United Nations Security Council condemns the arrests, the junta says Ndaw and Ouane have resigned. On May 27 Ouane and Ndaw are reportedly freed, but ECOWAS says they remain under house arrest. The following day Mali's constitutional court declares Goita transitional president. The former special forces officer, who has shunned the limelight since arriving on Mali's political scene in the August coup, remains something of an enigma. He vows that a new prime minister will be appointed within days. Mali is suspended from ECOWAS on May 30 but it stops short of reimposing sanctions. Two days later the African Union follows suit. Despite the international condemnation, Colonel Goita is sworn in as transitional president on Monday. He vows that "Mali will uphold all its commitments" and insists "credible, fair and transparent elections" would be held by February 2022. ang/jmy/fg/yad
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)