Mali is moving towards a new form of government after the resignation of the executive under pressure from the street and religious leaders, at the origin of the putsch against former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. But time is running out to organize the transition before the new elections.
While the transitional government has taken control of the country for a year already, it is struggling to show the effects of a real change, at a time when Mali is still plagued by jihadist violence.
On Friday, Malian Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, a career diplomat, who was appointed to this post in September, a month after the military coup, announced the resignation of his government and immediately his renewal to form a new cabinet of ” wide opening ”.
On Twitter, the Malian presidency announced this news, indicating that Moctar Ouane presented the resignation of his government to the transitional president, Bah Ndaw, a retired soldier, and that he was immediately reappointed.
The choice of Moctar Ouane was imposed on the military in the face of ECOWAS sanctions which had sanctioned the country two days after the putsch and had conditioned their lifting by the appointment of a civilian at the head of the executive.
This new executive will be responsible for carrying out the political transition project before the new electoral deadlines expected on February 27 with a first round of presidential and parliamentary elections, followed by a constitutional referendum on October 31.
Moctar Ouane is expected to propose a new government team to face criticism from the street and avoid a new popular uprising at the origin of the fall of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on August 18, 2020.
The soldiers who orchestrated the putsch against the former president pledged to organize the country’s transition in 18 months before returning it to democratically elected civilians.
But their promise seems difficult to keep in view of the chaotic situation in the country, which is suffering the brunt of the economic crisis and the extremist threat of armed groups. If the movement behind the coup against Mr. Keita, supported by influential religious leaders, called for the dissolution of the government and the prime minister has bowed, the new executive will face significant challenges in less one year.
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