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Mali
's President Amadou Toumani Toure announced a new national
government on Sunday, days after the previous administration
stepped down at his request.
National Television ORTM reported late Sunday that Toure had made
his decision "after a proposal by the prime minister" Usmane Issufi
Maiga.
Maiga was appointed prime minister of Mali on Thursday to replace
Ahmed Mohamed Ag Hamani, whose government resigned the previous
day.
Maiga had served as transport minister in according to Toure's
office.
The president's office did not say why Toure had originally
requested the far-reaching government reshuffle Hamani had held the
job of prime minister since June 2002, when Toure came to power in
the vast, poverty-stricken west African state.
Hamani had also offered his resignation and that of his govermment
in October 2002 but was reappointed.
Toure hope to give a "second wind" to his presidency which has
three years to run.
The new government, of 28 ministers, was described by the
president's entourage as a "combative government" but a government
of consensus filled with technocrats.
Four of the main ministries now have new incumbents.
Foreign affairs went to career diplomat Moktar Wann, Defence to
magistrate Mamadou Sissouma. The Interior Security portfolio was
handed to Colonel Sadjo Gassama who had been army
chief-of-staff.
The new finance minister is Abubacar Traore, an experienced
economist.
Seventeen members of the old administration were retained, although
many in different posts.
Movie director Cheick Oumar Sissoko, president of the African
Solidarity Party for development and independence maintained the
Culture portfolio.
There are five women in the new government, one more than
previously, including the new justice minister.
The former French colony is Africa's third gold producer and second
cotton producer. But hard-hit by drought and famine in the 1970s
and 1980s, it is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world,
according to the United Nations. - Sapa-AFP
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