BEVERLY HILLS, May 29, (THEWILL) – Mali’s junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, left the capital Bamako Saturday, his first full day as President, and headed for Ghana where West African leaders will decide on a response to the country’s second coup in nine months.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) invited Goita to come to Ghana’s capital Accra for “consultations” ahead of an extraordinary summit on Sunday devoted to Mali, according to a letter from the 15-nation bloc seen by AFP.
He flew to Accra on Saturday, military and airport sources said.
Goita had served as Vice President since leading a coup last August that ousted the democratically elected President, with the roles of President and Prime Minister held by civilians after pressure from ECOWAS, which served as a mediator.
However, on Monday, soldiers detained transitional President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, releasing them on Thursday while saying that they had resigned.
Mali’s constitutional court completed Goita’s rise to full power on Friday by naming him transitional President.
The constitutional court said Goita would “exercise the functions of transitional President to lead the transition process to its conclusion.”
The junta said this week it will would continue to respect the transition timetable, but added that it could be subject to change
With the junta going back on its previous commitment to civilian political leaders, doubts have been raised about its other pledges, including holding elections in early 2020..
ECOWAS, which issued sanctions against Mali after the August coup before lifting them when the transitional government was put in place, will meet from 2:00 pm (1400 GMT) in Accra on Sunday.
The 15-nation bloc has warned of reimposing sanctions on the country, as has the United States and former colonial power France.
Mali, regularly ranked among the world’s poorest countries, the previous ECOWAS sanctions were felt hard by a country reeling from numerous crises, including a grinding jihadist insurgency.
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