After the Malian Army suffered dramatic territorial losses in 2012 to a rebellion by the Tuareg people in the country's north, soldiers overthrew then-President Amadou Toumani Touré. However, the coup only worsened the army's losses, and Bamako soon turned to France for help, launching Operations Serval and the ongoing Barkhane.
A day after the prime minister and acting president of Mali were whisked away to a military base outside the capital, Vice President Assimi Goita, who masterminded the August 2020 coup that brought them to power, announced they had been stripped of their duties.
Goita accused the two of failing to consult him prior to a cabinet reshuffle on Monday that saw two central coup figures ousted from their positions heading the defense and security ministries.
The Transitional Charter was introduced in October 2020 after a new civilian interim government was announced amid heavy international pressure to restore democracy after the coup. Authored by Goita, the document lays out the principles that govern the 18-month period until new elections can be organized.
Interior Security Minister Modibo Kone and Defense Minister Sadio Camara, the two ministers removed from their posts on Monday in what Ndaw called a “broad-based” cabinet reformation, were also members of the former NCSP alongside Goita, who according to the charter is “responsible for defense and security” as vice president. Ndaw, too, is a military…
