Iran Press/ Africa: Moctar Ouané, 64, a former ambassador and foreign minister until 2009 was named as Mali's interim Prime Minister, state television said on Sunday, a move likely to trigger the lifting of sanctions imposed by the West Africa regional bloc in the aftermath of the military coup last month.
Ouané, who until his appointment, was a general delegate for Peace and Security at the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, UEMOA, is expected to form his cabinet on Tuesday, 29th September.
ECOWAS made the nomination of a civilian government one of the outstanding preconditions for the lifting of wide-ranging sanctions on Mali, following the military coup of 18th August.
Seventy-year-old retired Col. Bah Ndaw, was inaugurated on Friday as president of the 18-month Transition government, with Col. Assimi Goita, leader of the military junta as vice president.
Meanwhile, the military junta has also named Col Daouda Sogoba as the new chief of staff to the president. He replaces Col. Oumar Dao, on that post since 2014.
ECOWAS has also demanded the unconditional release of senior officials of the deposed government of elected President Ibrahim Keita, still under military detention.
ECOWAS also wants the dissolution of the ruling military Council set up by the junta and clarification of the Transition Charter, especially the status of the Transition Government’s vice president.
ECOWAS insists that on no circumstance should the vice president replace the President, while the junta thinks otherwise.
Ousted president Keita has since left Mali for the United Arab Emirates for medical reasons, while veteran opposition leader, Soumaila Cisse, who contested the presidential election against him in 2016, is still missing after being kidnapped by gunmen last March during a campaign tour of Mali’s troubled northern religion.
Last Friday, the ECOWAS Community Court sitting in Abuja threw out a case brought by two Malian Associations against the ECOWAS sanctions.
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