Mali Rebels Choose Col. Assimi Goita As Leader - Reports

Col. Assimi Goita has been appointed head of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which was created by the rebels who ousted the constitutional government of Mali, the EFE news agency reported on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2020) Col. Assimi Goita has been appointed head of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which was created by the rebels who ousted the constitutional government of Mali, the EFE news agency reported on Wednesday.

Goita was one of five military members of the committee, whose members appeared on national television Monday morning to announce the first statement of the coup organizers.

According to the agency, before the mutiny, Goita commanded special forces units in central Mali.

The Mali mutiny began on Monday at a military base near the capital of Bamako. The rebels kidnapped several high-ranking officials, including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse. Keita subsequently announced the resignation of the government and resolved parliament. The military called for a political transformation in the country leading to general elections, announced the closure of borders and imposed curfews.