Mali
West Africa
Mali: At Least 30 Civilians Were Killed By Al-Qaeda-Linked Militants
At least 30 people were killed in twin attacks in central Mali as jihadist violence continues spreading across the West African country despite ongoing…
Assimi Goita
Assimi Goïta is a Malian military officer who has served as the Interim President of Mali since May 2021. He first came to prominence as a leader of the 2020 coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and later seized full power in a second coup in 2021
Quick facts about Assimi Goita
- He is a Malian military officer who took power as the interim President of Mali following two separate military coups in 2020 and 2021.
- Prior to leading the country, he served as a colonel in the Malian Armed Forces and led the autonomous Special Forces Battalion in central Mali.
- He served as leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, the military junta that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in August 2020.
- Under his administration, Mali broke long-standing defense agreements with France, withdrew French military forces, and aligned more closely with Russia.
- He played a central role in founding the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional defense confederation formed alongside the military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger.