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Sub Saharan Africa

Mali

 Flag of Mali

Map of Mali Last reviewed: 25 February 2009

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History

Although in its current form Mali is a creation of the French Empire (called French Soudan under colonial rule), Malians continue to draw a sense of national pride from the heritage of the Songay and Malian Empires. The country became an independent republic in 1960 after having briefly joined with Senegal in 1959 in the Federation of Mali. The first head of State, President Modibo Keita, immediately declared a single party state and pursued Marxist Socialist policies supported by alliances with the Soviet Bloc. Keita's regime was overthrown by a military coup in 1968. The coup leader Moussa Traore promised a return to civilian rule, but in the event continued the oppressive single party rule of his predecessor until his overthrow in early 1991.

On 26 March 1991, Lt Col Amadou Toumani Toure (popularly known as ATT), led a coup which overthrew Traore. Toure kept his promise of overseeing a return to civilian rule. In 1992 the main opposition party to have emerged, ADEMA, won legislative elections, and the Presidential elections were won by its leader Alpha Oumar Konare. He was re-elected for a second term in May 1997. Legislative elections in the same year were beset with technical problems, and opposition parties boycotted the re-run elections of August. As a result, ADEMA and their allies took almost all the seats in the national assembly.

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Contacts

Mali

Address:

Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Avenue Molière 487
1050 Brussels

Telephone:

(00) (322) 345 74 32

Fax:

(00) 322 344 57 00