Mali
Mali, 1960 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. After Senegal's withdrawal, the Republic of Mali was established. After a long period of one-party rule, a coup in 1991 led to a new constitution and the establishment of Mali as a democratic, multi-party state. In January 2012, an armed conflict broke out in northern Mali, in which Tuareg rebels took control of territory in the north, and in April declared the secession of a new state, Azawad.
Seat of power: Bamako
Rulers
Modibo Keïta
President of Mali, 1960–1968
He was the first President of Mali from 1960 to 1968. He established the US-RDA as the only official party and began implementing socialist policies based on extensive nationalization. He was overthrown in the 1968 Malian coup d'état by Moussa Traoré.
Portrait of Modibo Keïta: Not credited, Public domain, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Moussa Traoré
President of Mali, 1968–1991
He served as the second President of Mali from 1968 to 1991. During his tenure, political activity was banned, marking a shift to authoritarian control. He was overthrown by popular protests and a military coup in March 1991.
Portrait of Moussa Traoré: European Communities, Attribution, file
.png){kind=link}
Amadou Toumani Touré
President of Mali, 1991–1992
He presided over a year-long military-civilian transition process that produced a new Constitution and multiparty elections, then handed power to Mali's first democratically elected president, Alpha Oumar Konaré, on 8 June 1992.
Portrait of Amadou Toumani Touré: LulaAmadouToure.jpg: Antonio Cruz/ABr derivative work: Missionary (talk), CC BY 2.5, file
Alpha Oumar Konaré
President of Mali, 1992–2002
He served as President of Mali for two five-year terms from 1992 to 2002. He was Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2003 to 2008.
Portrait of Alpha Oumar Konaré: Fábio Pozzebom/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
Amadou Toumani Touré
President of Mali, 2002–2012
He won the 2002 presidential election with a broad coalition of support and was easily re-elected in 2007 to a second and final term. On 22 March 2012, shortly before his scheduled departure from office, disgruntled soldiers initiated a coup d'état that forced him into hiding.
Portrait of Amadou Toumani Touré: LulaAmadouToure.jpg: Antonio Cruz/ABr derivative work: Missionary (talk), CC BY 2.5, file
Dioncounda Traoré
President of Mali, 2012–2013
He was President of Mali in an interim capacity from April 2012 to September 2013. Previously he was President of the National Assembly of Mali from 2007 to 2012.
Portrait of Dioncounda Traoré: DioncoundaTraore2012, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Amadou Sanogo
President of Mali, 2012–2012
He was leader of the 2012 Malian coup d'état against President Amadou Toumani Touré. His first actions as de facto head of state included suspending the constitution and activities of some organizations, as well as declaring a curfew and closing the borders.
Portrait of Amadou Sanogo: Kassim Traoré (VOA), Public domain, file
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
President of Mali, 2013–2020
He served as the president of Mali from September 2013 to August 2020, when he was forced to resign in the 2020 Malian coup d'état. He was elected president in the 2013 presidential election and reelected in 2018.
Portrait of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta: Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Bah Ndaw
President of Mali, 2020–2021
He served as the interim president of Mali from 2020 to 2021, when he was deposed in a coup.
Portrait of Bah Ndaw: Michele Cattani, European Commission, CC BY 4.0, file
Assimi Goïta
President of Mali, 2021 to today
In May 2021, following a dispute in the government, Goïta seized power from Ndaw in another coup and was subsequently appointed interim president. His rule has seen increased authoritarianism domestically, as well as strained relations with ECOWAS, the United Nations, and France.
Portrait of Assimi Goïta: President of Russia,Kremlin, CC BY 4.0, file
Culture
- French was the official language until 2022, when it was replaced by 13 African languages, with Bambara being the first language of the majority of the population.
- Besides being a hub of trade and mining, medieval Mali was a centre of Islam, culture and knowledge, with Timbuktu becoming a renowned place of education.
- The economy centres on agriculture and mining with its most prominent natural resources including gold (which represents 80% of its exports) and cotton.
- Since independence, there have been four rebellions involving Tuareg people, which occurred from 1962 to 1964, 1990 to 1995, 2007 to 2009, and since 2012.
Picture
The Great Mosque of Djenné, in the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style, is the largest adobe brick building in the world.
Image: Ruud Zwart, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.