Mali on Friday, September 25, inaugurated Mr. Bah N’daw, as the new interim President, to pilot the affairs of the country for the next 18 months.
Also sworn in by the West African country was Colonel Assimi Goita, who was inaugurated as the nation’s Vice President.
Their inauguration comes exactly five years weeks after the former president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, was ousted from office, Igbere TV reports.
N’daw, 70, a former Defence Minister, was picked by the coup leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, to head a transitional government until elections, which are expected in 18 months.
The appointment of a civilian president was a condition for the West African regional group, ECOWAS, to lift the sanctions it imposed after the coup.
After taking oath of office, the Attorney General of the Supreme Court asked the president and his vice to release all civilian and military figures arrested since after the coup or bring them to justice.
During the 18-month transition of N’daw, he is expected to set up a cabinet of a maximum of 25 members, headed by a prime minister to be appointed by him.
A National Transitional Council, composed of 121 members, is also to be set up as Mali’s legislative body any moment from now.
Those who witnessed the inauguration ceremony were Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan, who is mediator of ECOWAS, and President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
On his Facebook page, Jonathan wrote; “Today, we witnessed the swearing-in of His Excellency Mr. Bah N’daw and Colonel Assimi Goita as President and Vice President of Mali’s Transition Government.
“The Ecowas_Cedeao mediation team congratulates these new Malian leaders and wish them success as they embark on an 18-month long task of restoring normalcy, stabilising the country, uniting the people and overseeing the process that will produce the next democratically elected president of the beautiful country of Mali.”
