Assimi Goïta | |
|---|---|
 Goïta in 2023 | |
| 6th President of Mali | |
| Assumed office 8 July 2025[a] | |
| Prime Minister | Choguel Kokalla MaïgaAbdoulaye Maïga |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta Bah Ndaw (interim) |
| President of theConfederation of Sahel States | |
| In office 6 July 2024 – 24 December 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ibrahim Traoré |
| Chairman of theNational Committee for the Salvation of the People | |
| In office 18 August 2020 – 25 September 2020 | |
| Vice Chairman | Malick Diaw |
| Preceded by | Position established; Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (as President) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished; Bah Ndaw (as Interim President) |
| Interim Vice President of Mali | |
| In office 25 September 2020 – 24 May 2021 | |
| President | Bah Ndaw (interim) |
| Preceded by | Malick Diaw[b] |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1983-11-09)9 November 1983 (age 42) Bamako, Mali |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Lala Diallo, Mouna Semega |
| Alma mater | Joint Military School Prytanée militaire de Kati |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Mali |
| Branch/service | Malian Army |
| Years of service | 2002–present |
| Rank |  Général d'Armée |
| Unit | Autonomous Special Forces Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Mali War |
Assimi Goïta (born 9 November 1983) is a Malianarmy general who has ruledMali since 2021. He has served as the sixthpresident of Mali since 2025, previously serving as the interimvice president under Interim PresidentBah Ndaw from 2020 to 2021 and then as the interim president until 2025. He has also been the president of theConfederation of Sahel States since 2024.
Born inBamako, Goïta graduated from theJoint Military School in 2002 and he was later assigned to the 134th Reconnaissance Squadron inGao. Goïta also received advanced military training and courses abroad inGermany,Gabon,France and theUnited States. Following acoup in August 2020, Goïta became the Mali'sde facto leader as chairman of theNational Committee for the Salvation of the People, amilitary junta that seized power from former presidentIbrahim Boubacar Keïta. The following month, Goïta was appointed the interim vice president, serving under the newly installed interim presidentBah Ndaw whom Goïta handed over power to after international pressure to do so.
In May 2021, following a dispute in the government, Goïta seized power from Ndaw in anothercoup and was subsequently appointed interim president. His rule has seen increasedauthoritarianism domestically, as well as strained relations withECOWAS, theUnited Nations, and France. Goïta's government cut military ties with France and became allied with Russia and theWagner Group. In January 2024, Goïta announced Mali's withdrawal from ECOWAS and later formed theConfederation of Sahel States with the military leaders ofBurkina Faso andNiger.
Assimi is a member of theMinianka tribe and the son of a military officer,[1] he was trained in the military academies of Mali and notably attended the Prytanée Militaire de Kati and theJoint Military School inKoulikoro.[2]
Goïta served as a colonel in the Autonomous Special Forces Battalion, the special forces unit of theMalian Armed Forces.[citation needed] He commanded the Malian special forces in the center of the country with the rank of colonel, and took part in thejihadist insurgency in Mali.[3] In 2018, he met the futureGuinean coup leader and presidentMamady Doumbouya.[4]
Goïta received further military training from the United States, France, and Germany, and had experience working withUnited States Army Special Forces.[5]
Goïta served as the leader of theNational Committee for the Salvation of the People, a group of rebels who overthrewIbrahim Boubacar Keïta in the2020 Malian coup d'état, and have pledged to initiate new elections to replace him.[6] Because of this pledge, theEconomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) pressured Mali's ruling junta to ensure that the country would be led by a civilian.[7]
On 21 September, Goïta was named interim vice president by a group of 17 electors, withBah Ndaw being appointed interim president.[8][7][9] They were to hold the position for 18 months, until new elections.[7] He took the oath of office on 25 September 2020.[10][11] On 1 October 2020, the "Mali Transition Letter" was published where it was specified, in response to the request of ECOWAS, that the vice president "in charge of defense and security issues" would not be able to replace President Bah Ndaw.[12]
Goïta was involved in asecond coup d'état on 24 May 2021, after which he seized power. President Ndaw and Prime MinisterMoctar Ouane were detained. Goïta claimed that Ndaw was attempting to "sabotage" the transition to democracy, and committed to elections in 2022. The coup was instigated by Goïta's claim that Ndaw failed to consult him about a cabinet reshuffle.[13][14] It was alleged that one of the motives for the latest coup was the removal of ColonelSadio Camara as defense minister. Camara was reinstated as defense minister by Goïta following his takeover.[15]
On 28 May 2021, the constitutional court declared him interim president of Mali. The court ruling stated that Goïta should carry the title "president of the transition, head of state" to "lead the transition process to its conclusion". On the same day, he said that he would name a prime minister from the M5-RFP coalition.[16][17]Choguel Kokalla Maïga was eventually nominated to form a cabinet.[18] On 20 July 2021, Goïta was attacked by a knifeman while praying at theGrand Mosque inBamako amid festivities for theEid al-Adha.[19] The attacker was then immediately arrested after failing to stab the President.[20] Overall two men were arrested by the security forces.[21] One of them was however found to be a special forces soldier wrongly assumed to be the attacker's accomplice.[22] The knifeman, identified as a teacher, died in custody five days after the attack. The cause of death is unknown.[23]
On 23 June 2023, aconstitutional referendum took place, with 97% of voters supporting the adoption of the proposed constitution. 39.4% of registered voters participated in the referendum.[24] The new constitution was controversial, with critics alleging that the referendum was compromised and that the new constitution would make democratic reforms less likely.[25] On 25 July 2023, it was announced that Goïta had pardoned 46soldiers fromIvory Coast that had been sentenced in December 2022.[26] In July 2023, Goïta attended the2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg in his first foreign visit since the 2021 coup.[27][28] After the summit ended, he met with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin to discuss Russia's ongoing economic and humanitarian support for Mali. During the meeting, Goïta accused countries sanctioning Mali of engaging in a "neocolonialist practice", according to a transcript by the Kremlin.[29]
Goïta declared his support for theNational Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) junta inNiger in the wake of the2023 Nigerien coup d'état, and the CNSP later gave theMalian Armed Forces permission to enterNiger.[30] In October 2023, Goïta held a telephone conversation with Putin, his third in less than two months, in which they discussed trade and security relations. Goïta later publicly "expressed [his] gratitude for all the support that Russia provides to Mali."[31]
In October 2024, Goïta self-promoted to the rank of general of the Malian Army.[32] He indefinitely postponed elections in 2024 and dissolved all political parties in May 2025.[33][34] On 3 July 2025, theNational Transitional Council [fr] allowed Goita to stay in office for a five-year term, renewable "as many times as necessary" and without requiring an election.[35]
Under Goïta the government's stake in mining projects increases from 20% to 35%, with an option to acquire an additional 10%. Companies must pay newtaxes and settletax arrears, or face severe penalties. He advocates fornationalization, which is shown in the two mines. The Morila and Yatela mines are now entirely under state control, marking a major step towards economic sovereignty. Additionally, an audit commissioned by Goïta revealed irregularities in mining contracts, justifying tough renegotiations.[36]
Goïta is married to Lala Diallo and Mouna Semega.[37]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byas President of Mali | Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People of Mali 2020 | Succeeded byas Interim President of Mali |
 | ||
*acting †military | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
