Former Defence Minister Bah Ndaw, 70, was picked by the coup leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, to head a transitional government until elections, which are expected in 18 months.

Col Goita will be his vice-president.

The appointment of a civilian president was a condition for the West African regional group, Ecowas, to lift the sanctions it imposed after the coup.

Stocks of goods are running low in the capital, Bamako, where businesses are hoping for an announcement from Ecowas after the inauguration.

West African heads of state are afraid the coup in Mali may lead to other uprisings in a region that is facing several elections in the coming months.

Members of the opposition M5-RFP coalition which organised mass protests against the ousted leader will also be watching closely, having already felt sidelined in the process of appointing a replacement.

The next 18 months will be crucial in determining how close or far Mali steers from democracy.

A Soviet-trained helicopter pilot who rose through the ranks of Mali’s air force, Mr Ndaw most recently served as defense minister for the ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

He left in 2015 after less than a year, prompting speculation in the national press of fallout over reintegrating deserters into the military.

During his brief stint as minister, Mr Ndaw signed a defense deal in 2014 with former colonial power France, whose troops had intervened a year earlier to fight Islamist rebels.

He previously served as an aide to late President Moussa Traoré.

Over his decorated career, Mr Ndaw graduated from France’s elite Ecole de guerre, and received the National Order of Mali plus the Medal of Military Merit as well as the Medal of National Merit.

People close to the retired colonel-major are said to call him “Le Grand” (The Tall) because of his imposing 6ft 4in (1.95cm) height.

President Keïta was overthrown on 18 August following mass protests against his rule over corruption, the mismanagement of the economy, and a dispute over legislative elections.

Mali is also struggling with intense Islamist violence, with thousands of French, African, and UN troops based in the country to tackle the militants.

The coup sparked international condemnation, but it was welcomed by many Malians.

“It is our community’s duty to help Malians towards the swift re-establishment of all democratic institutions. The military junta must help us to help Mali,” President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, ECOWAS’ current chairman, said at the start of a summit.

Keita, 75, was admitted to a private clinic in the capital Bamako on Tuesday evening, he said.

“According to thorough analysis, the president was the victim of a transient ischaemic attack. It is an alert, but he is recovering well at the moment,” a doctor at the facility said.

A transient ischaemic attack, also called a mini-stroke, happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted for a few minutes, causing stroke-like symptoms such as numbness on one side of the body, vision difficulties or confusion in understanding speech.

Although the symptoms are typically short-lasting, they are often a warning sign for future strokes, experts say.

Earlier Wednesday, an aide to Keita and a medical source had said the former president had been admitted to the clinic for a routine checkup and that he was expected to return home in the coming hours.

Asked how long Keita would stay, the doctor said: “It’s true, his return home was initially envisaged for today, but right now he is under observation.”

The president was ousted by young military officers who mutinied at a base near Bamako before heading into the city, where they seized Keita and other leaders.

Hours later, Keita announced on national TV that he was stepping down.

He was released on August 27 by the new junta, who returned him to his residence in Bamako, where according to his entourage he has limited access to a phone and the internet.

The junta has said that Keita is authorised to leave the country for medical care if need be.

Keita, who was two years into his second five-year term, had been battling mounting protests fuelled by his handling of a bloody jihadist insurgency and failure to turn around Mali’s floundering economy.

Buhari joined the discussion virtually under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS has strongly condemned the change of government in member state Mali.

“The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWASECOWAS) will hold an extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in Mali on Thursday,” the regional body said in a statement on Wednesday.

ECOWAS had been mediating in the crisis before Tuesday’s coup.

Malian army officer Colonel Assimi Goita on Wednesday announced himself as the coup leader.

The African Union (AU) also on Wednesday suspended Mali a day after the coup.

The AU joined other international bodies and nations, including the US and European Union, to condemn the coup and demand the release of the detained leaders.

The intervention failed to seal a deal, but the Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou during the talks along with the leaders of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria said Western African bloc ECOWAS would hold a summit on Monday, 27 July for further deliberations on the issues raised.

But, President Issoufou, who is also the Chairman, ECOWAS Heads of Government, said the body will do all it can to resolve the political crisis in Mali.

He gave the assurance at a briefing after hours of consultations in the nation’s capital, Bamako, on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.

They were briefed by ECOWAS Special Envoy, former President Goodluck Jonathan,  Imam Mahmoud Dicko, representatives of opposition alliance, M5-RFP and civil society organisations.

President Keita also gave a brief on the socio-political situation, especially the disagreements that spiralled into protests and violence.

Issoufou said the regional leaders agreed there would be a need for a compromise to protect the peace and integrity of Mali.

He noted that allowing the political crisis to linger would affect other West African countries.

The ECOWAS Chairman commended Jonathan for accepting to lead the mission to the country to broker peace.

In his remarks, Akufo-Addo hinted that the ECOWAS protocol would be followed.

He said the tenet adopted by the body spells out that a President can only be voted into power, and voted out by election, except he completes his tenure.

President Buhari returned to Nigeria at the end of the meeting returned to Nigeria.