(4 minutes read)
· Tributes continue to pour in after the death of Mali’s former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday, whose rule was riddled with controversies and criticism, especially from the opposition
· He was toppled through a coup in 2020 by the military junta, which is in control of the country
Tributes continue to pour in after the death of Mali’s former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday, whose rule was riddled with controversies and criticism, especially from the opposition. He was toppled through a coup in 2020 by the military junta, which is in control of the country.
While in office, Keita had been struggling with protests fuelled by his handling of a jihadist insurgency. Under him, Mali’s floundering economy had further worsened.
Despite his lackluster performance as a ruler, people paid rich tributes to him as a person who upheld the need for peace and harmony. He led the West African country from 2013 until he was ousted in a coup in 2020. He was toppled by the military which is now under regional sanctions for failing to restore civilian rule. The reason for his death is still not revealed.
The cause of Keita’s death was not given. His term was marked by a slow process of reforms, and corruption and severe governance issues driving tens of thousands of protesters into the streets. The junta released the prime minister under pressure from ECOWAS on August 27 and returned him to his residence in Bamako, under surveillance. His health worsened afterwards.
The son of a civil servant, Keita was born in the southern industrial city of Koutiala, the heartland of cotton production. After studying literature in Mali, Senegal and France, Keita became an adviser for the EU’s overseas development fund before heading a development project in northern Mali. He campaigned against general Moussa Traore, Mali’s former president, who was ousted in 1991 by a military coup.
