The interim president in Mali, Bah Ndaw has on Sunday named former Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane as prime minister as the country seeks to return to normalcy following last month’s overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Last month, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended all financial transactions between Mali and its 14 other member states and closed their shared borders after the coup on August 18, but the latest move by the country could see the west African body lifts sanctions imposed on it.
64-year-old Ouane served as foreign minister from 2004 to 2011, after representing Mali as its envoy to the United Nations from 1995 to 2002.
Ouane has served as peace and security representative for the West African Monetary Union (WAMU) since 2016.
Mali had been mired in months of protests led by the main opposition party, June 5 Movement, over an economic crisis, corruption and Keita’s failure to quell an eight-year-old Islamic insurgency that has gained a foothold in central Mali. Anger also brewed over the results of 31 disputed legislative races held in April which saw Mali’s president at the time, Keita, detained and was subsequently released, others, including former prime minister Boubou Cisse, are still in jail.
The military government promised to return the country to civilian rule after a transition period lasting up to 18 months.
