URD: Gouagnon Coulibaly confirmed as president

Posted on 13.04.2023 at 1:13 p.m. by Mohamed Kenouvi

The Supreme Court of Mali confirmed this Wednesday, April 12 Gouagnon Coulibaly at the head of the URD. End of a legal soap opera that lasted more than a year between the heirs of the late Soumaila Cissé, the former opposition leader who died on December 25, 2020.

It had been expected for several months. The final verdict in the dispute between Mr. Gouagnon Coulibaly and Pr. Salikou Sanogo for the takeover of the Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) ​​fell yesterday Wednesday.

The Supreme Court, deliberating publicly and contradictorily in its hearing of this April 12, 2023, rejected the appeal in cassation brought by Professor Salikou Sanogo against the judgment of September 07, 2022 of the Bamako Court of Appeal.

As a reminder, this judgment confirmed judgment No. 130 of April 4, 2022 of the High Court of Commune V of the District of Bamako, validating the Extraordinary Congress of January 16, 2022 which had brought Gouagnon Coulibaly to the head of the URD.

Consequently, this rejection by the Supreme Court validates all the provisions of the judgment of September 7, 2022 which confirmed the legality and legitimacy of the election of Mr. Gouagnon Coulibaly as President of the URD.

But this confirmation of the former Campaign Director of Soumaila Cissé at the head of the URD continues to divide the party of the handshake. “Judges have decided to remove Soumaila Cissé’s fragrance from the URD. No decision can park me outside of my values. Farewell dear party. God, how much I loved you,” said Moussa Seye Diallo, the party’s deputy communications secretary, close to Professor Salikou Sanogo.

According to a source within this camp, a meeting should be held at the end of the week followed by a press conference in stride to explain their position in relation to the latest development of the dispute which has shaken the party since the death of Soumaila Cissé.

For his part, Abdrahamane Diarra, President of the Youth of the party, close to Gouagnon Coulibaly reacted by recalling the democratic nature of the URD. “A political party is and remains the association of men and women having a common point of view. Its conduct obeys the will of the majority of its members. The Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD), our party is democratic. Under the leadership of its president Gouagnon Coulibaly, we do not intend to derogate from this fundamental rule,” he replied.