Bah Ndaw

Bah Ndaw (also spelled N'Daw, N'Dah, and N'Daou; born 23 August 1950) is a Malian retired military officer and politician who served as the interim president of Mali from 2020 to 2021, when he was deposed in a coup. He previously served as the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs in the government of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta from 2014 to 2015.

Early life and education Ndaw was born on 23 August 1950 in San, Mali. He joined the Malian Armed Forces as a volunteer in 1973 and graduated from the Joint Military School (EMIA) in Koulikoro the same year. In 1974 he was sent to the Soviet Union to receive helicopter training. He retired with the rank of Colonel-major.

On 28 May 2014, Ndaw succeeded Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga as Minister of Defense under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. During his time in office he signed a defense agreement with France. He also worked on a reorganization of the Malian Armed Forces. A spokesperson for political-religious leader Mahmoud Dicko praised his nomination as president. Upon becoming president, he refused to grant his wife the title of First Lady to prevent family members from being involved in public affairs. After officially assuming office Ndaw stated he would fight against corruption, electoral fraud and to respect previously made international agreements.

A transition cannot do everything. It must set priorities. Public money is sacred and I will ensure that it is spent, in a traceable and reasonable way. I can't promise zero corruption but I will do everything to make zero impunity the norm. The proper management of our resources, of our meagre resources is, in fact, an obligation. This will be a project of the transition.|author=Ndaw during his inauguration|source=Maliweb

While he was president tensions were high between his government and the military since the handover of power in September. This led to rebel soldiers arresting Keïta and Cissé at gunpoint. The opposition M5 movement, which had spearheaded the 2020 Malian protests against Keïta, publicly called for the interim government to be dissolved and replaced with a "more legitimate" one. On 14 May, the government announced plans for a new, "broad-based" cabinet. The next day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for their immediate release. On 26 May, Ndaw announced his resignation.

Post-presidency (2021-present) On 27 August 2021, Ndaw was released from house arrest. An international committee, which included representatives of ECOWAS and the African Union, had pushed for the authorities to release Ndaw and Ouane from house arrest, and welcomed the decision to do so in a statement.

Awards and honors He is an officer of the National Order of Mali. Ndaw is a recipient of the Medal of Military Merit as well as the Medal of National Merit.