Military officers accept strategic ministries for defense, security, and national reconciliation.

A few weeks after leading Mali’s second coup in nine months, the colonel Asimi Goita A new cabinet of the country’s transitional government was appointed, and military officers accepted strategic ministries such as defense, security, and national reconciliation.

An announcement made on national television on Friday stated that Colonel Sadio Camara, one of the leaders of the August 2020 coup toppling former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, has restored the Minister of Defense. Position.

Goita served as the vice president of the transitional government that was eventually formed after Keita was overthrown. He planned another coup in late May to remove interim President Barendo and Prime Minister Mokta Vane.

The colonel accused the couple of not negotiating with him on the reorganization of the cabinet, which would replace Kamara’s position and Modibo Kone, who is in charge of security.

KONE was not included in the new government lineup. Another colonel, Daoud Aly Mohammedine, was appointed as the Minister of Security. At the same time, a man named Modibo Kone was appointed minister of the environment, but the spokesperson of the M5-RFP coalition, who had initiated several months of protests before Keita was overthrown, said he was a civilian , Has nothing to do with the colonel.

The appointment of the new government can ease tensions with Malian partners, who hope that the transitional government will continue to advance the elections planned for February 2022.

Goita, a former vice president of the transitional government, was sworn in as interim president on Monday. On Wednesday, he appointed a civilian prime minister, Georg Kokala Mega, in accordance with international requirements, and said he would hold elections scheduled for next year.

The coup d’etat last month caused international turmoil, and the African Union and the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional group suspended activities in Mali.

France, where thousands of soldiers are stationed in this war-torn country, has also suspended military cooperation.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans Weaken the top 5,100 in other countries Military operations against armed groups in the Sahel region of West Africa.

Mali National Television announced a new government-the best way to describe it: the same but different

-Nicholas Hack (@nicolashaque) June 11, 2021

Al Jazeera’s Nicholas Hacker reported on Mali extensively. He said that many cabinet members are “familiar names” because they are members of the military government.

However, he added that the new lineup seems to meet the regional requirements of forming a government from an inclusive cross-section of Malian society.

“ECOWAS had asked Goita to form a government of national unity when he was in power, and the government he announced seemed to be such a government of national unity, despite many familiar faces,” Huck said.

“You have members of the M5-RFP, which is the civil society movement that led to Keita’s downfall; you also have members of Keita’s former ruling party; of course, there are members of the military government,” he added.

“The new face is Abdullah Diop, who will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” Huck pointed out.

“He will face the arduous task of rebuilding relations with international actors, especially the ECOWAS, which has placed Mali under sanctions and suspended the country’s membership in the alliance — but most importantly, re-establishing relations with French connections.”