BAMAKO, Mali: Malis transitional president and vice president were sworn into office Friday, more than a month after a coup in the West African nation.
The induction ceremony in the capital, Bamako, took place as Mali remains under sanctions by the 15-nation West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, and amid uncertainty about details of the transition period.
Former Defense Minister and retired Col. Maj. Bah NDaw is the new transitional president while Col. Assimi Goita, head of the junta that staged the Aug. 18 coup, is Malis new vice president. The two, along with a prime minister who will be chosen in the coming days, are to lead the transitional government to elections in 18 months.
Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan attended the ceremony as representative of ECOWAS, which had pressed for a quick return to a…