Army colonel Assimi Goita has been introduced as Mali’s new military strongman after a mutiny forced President Boubacar Keita out of power.
“Let me introduce myself, I am Colonel Assimi Goita, chairman of the National Committee for the salvation of the People,” he said Wednesday.
He led the coup that ousted the president.
There’s still no word on what will happen to Mr Keita going forward.
Coup leaders in Mali faced mounting international pressure on Wednesday, a day after they ousted Mr Keita following months of protests.
The African Union (AU) suspended Mali and joined Europe and the US in demanding the new-born junta free the 75-year-old president, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and other leaders taken captive.
The coup chiefs, meanwhile, called on the public to return to normal life, warned against acts of “vandalism” and threatened to punish any soldier found guilty of extortion. (Agency Report)
