Mali’s President Assimi Goïta Promoted to General
Malian military leader, Assimi Goïta has been promoted to the highest military rank of Army General, a distinction only two former heads of state in Mali’s history have held. This promotion comes over a year after Mali adopted a new constitution that bolsters the president’s and armed forces’ powers.
Goïta, a military officer, has been Mali’s interim president since May 28, 2021, after leading the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, a military force that seized power from former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020.
The Council of Ministers announced Goïta’s promotion on Wednesday via the Malian government’s general secretariat website. Five other influential colonels in the Malian military junta were also exceptionally promoted to four-star generals.
This move solidifies Goïta’s position as the most powerful person in Mali, with increased authority over the military and government. The new constitution, adopted in 2023, has already expanded the president’s powers and those of the armed forces.
