Mali: Junta’s new PM appointment consolidates army control
All three branches of the Mali government are now under military control after fired civilian prime minister Choguel Maiga was replaced by an army general, according to Agencies via AfricaNews.
On November 21st, Gen. Abdoulaye Maiga was named as Mali’s new PM in a move that consolidates power under transitional president Gen. Assimi Goita, who also holds the position of head of the Malian army.
The appointment means all three branches of Mali’s transitional government – the presidency, the legislative body – the National Transitional Council – and the prime minister’s office – are firmly in the grip of the military.
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Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali, a German think tank, said: “The choice of the new prime minister shows that the military is tightening its grip on power. General Maïga is seen as especially close to President Goïta, who wanted someone loyal as the country prepares for possible elections next year.”
“Choguel provoked his dismissal by positioning himself as a potential candidate in the elections.”
Former PM Chogul was sacked a day prior by Goita after publicly criticizing the military junta for delaying the elections which were due to take place this year.
In his statement Chogul said there had been no discussion about the postponement of the elections within the government and that he had been first made aware of the junta’s decision through the media.
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The newly appointed Gen. Abdoulaye Maiga has already held senior government roles, including deputy prime minister and is known for his fiery rhetoric, particularly against France and the now-departed peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA.
In September, he slammed Algerian diplomats at the UN General Assembly for accusing the Malian Army of killing civilians neat the border with Algeria.
While Mali’s experiment with democracy definitively failed following the 2020 coup, with Goita at the helm, any return to fair elections continues to shrink into the distance.
Agencies via AfricaNews
