The son of a military officer,[5] he was trained in the military academies of Mali and notably attended the Prytanée Militaire de Kati and the Joint Military School in Koulikoro.[6]
Goïta served as a colonel in the Autonomous Special Forces Battalion, the special forces unit of the Malian 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 the jihadist insurgency in Mali.[7] In 2018, he met the future Guinean coup leader and president Mamady Doumbouya.[8]
Goïta received further military training from the United States, France, and Germany, and had experience working with United States Army Special Forces.[9]
On 21 September, Goïta was named interim vice president by a group of 17 electors, with Bah Ndaw being appointed interim president.[13][12][14] They were to hold the position for 18 months, until new elections.[12] He took the oath of office on 25 September 2020.[15][16] 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.[17]
Second coup d'état and current rule (2021–present)
Goita with prime minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga in August 2022Goïta with Russian president Vladimir Putin in July 2023
Goïta was involved in a second coup d'état on 24 May 2021, after which he seized power. President Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar 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.[18][2] It was alleged that one of the motives for the latest coup was the removal of Colonel Sadio Camara as defense minister. Camara was reinstated as defense minister by Goïta following his takeover.[19]
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.[3][4]Choguel Kokalla Maïga was eventually nominated to form a cabinet.[20]
On 20 July 2021, Goïta was attacked by a knifeman while praying at the Grand Mosque in Bamako amid festivities for the Eid al-Adha.[21] The attacker was then immediately arrested after failing to stab the President.[22] Overall two men were arrested by the security forces.[23] One of them was however found to be a special forces soldier wrongly assumed to be the attacker's accomplice.[24] The knifeman, identified as a teacher, died in custody five days after the attack. The cause of death is unknown.[25]
On 23 June 2023, a constitutional referendum took place, with 97% of voters supporting the adoption of the proposed constitution. 39.4% of registered voters participated in the referendum.[26] The new constitution was controversial, with critics alleging that the referendum was compromised and that the new constitution would make democratic reforms less likely.[27]
On 25 July 2023, it was announced that Goïta had pardoned 46 soldiers from Ivory Coast that had been sentenced in December 2022.[28]
In July 2023, Goïta attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg in his first foreign visit since the 2021 coup.[29][30] After the summit ended, he met with Russian President Vladimir 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.[31]
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."[33]
The annual Colonel Assimi Goïta Super Cup football tournament, which was launched in 2021, is named after him.[34][35]
In October 2024, Goïta had himself promoted to become general of the Malian Army.[36]
Personal life
Goïta is married to Lala Diallo, who is an ethnic Fulani.[37]
