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Mali’s junta carried out a partial reshuffle of the government immediately after announcing the end of the UN peace mission in the country. Recently, the country carried out a referendum on its draft new Constitution, which was endorsed by the people
Mali’s junta carried out a partial reshuffle of the government immediately after announcing the end of the UN peace mission in the country. Recently, the country carried out a referendum on its draft new Constitution, which was endorsed by the people. Over 97% of the voters approved the new constitution. The reshuffle had seen 16 new appointments. Of that, thirteen were inducted as ministers, and portfolios of three were reshuffled.
Significantly, a representative of the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad, the main alliance of former rebels in the north, is leaving the government. His departure from the council of ministers was at a time when tension between the two parties was escalating. Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, a military representative, has joined the Ministry of Health and Social Development.
Critics of the draft describe it as tailor-made to keep the junta in power beyond the presidential elections scheduled for February 2024, despite initial commitments that a civilian government would take over. This was the first election since the military seized power by force in August 2020. Since then, they have ruled virtually unchallenged in a country faced with jihadism and a security, political and economic crisis. The Constitutional reform provides amnesty for the perpetrators of coups d’état prior to its promulgation. There is speculation that the present junta head Colonel Assimi Goïta will be a possible presidential candidate.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/conflicting-reports-from-mali-on-referendum/
https://trendsnafrica.com/mali-went-to-referendum-on-new-constitution/
https://trendsnafrica.com/un-peacekeeping-mission-was-asked-to-leave-mali/
In the meantime, the UN Security Council voted to end a decade-old peacekeeping mission to Mali. The military junta urged the troops’ removal as it aligned with Russia. The Security Council voted unanimously on a resolution that would immediately start winding down the Minusma mission, which started in 2013 to prevent a jihadist takeover. There are unanswered questions as to what would be the plight of the Sahel country with Moscow in the event of tensions between the Russian administration and Wagner, a group dubbed as the private army of Putin, which Russia refutes, calling them instructors.
