Général d’Armée Assimi Goïta (born 9 November 1983)[1] is a Malian military officer who has been interim President of Mali since 28 May 2021.

Goïta was the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, a military junta that seized power from former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in the 2020 Malian coup d'état.

[2] Goïta later seized power from Bah Ndaw in the 2021 Malian coup d'état[3] and has since been declared interim president of Mali.

[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.

[10] Goïta served as the leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, a group of rebels who overthrew Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in the 2020 Malian coup d'état, and have pledged to initiate new elections to replace him.

[11][12] Because of this pledge, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) pressured Mali's ruling junta to ensure that the country would be led by a civilian.

[21] 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.

[30][31] After the summit ended, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Russia's ongoing economic and humanitarian support for Mali.