Mali

See also the Empire of Mali and the town of Mali, Guinea.

History

Main article: History of Mali

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The Mandé peoples settled the Sahel (including present-day Mali), and formed a succession of Sahelian kingdoms, including the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire. Timbuktu was a key city in these empires as an outpost for trans-Saharan trade and a center for scholarship. The Songhai Empire declined under a Moroccan invasion in 1591.

Related Topics:
Mandé - Sahel - Sahelian kingdom - Ghana Empire - Mali Empire - Songhai Empire - Timbuktu - Trans-Saharan trade - Moroccan - 1591

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Mali was invaded by France starting in 1880. The colony, which at times included neighbouring countries, was known as French Sudan or the Sudanese Republic. In early 1959, the union of Mali and Senegal became the Mali Federation, which gained independence from France on June 20, 1960. Senegal withdrew from the Mali Federation after a few months. The Republic of Mali, under Modibo Keïta, withdrew from the French Community on September 22, 1960.

Related Topics:
France - French Sudan - Senegal - Mali Federation - June 20 - 1960 - Modibo Keïta - French Community - September 22

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Mali was ruled by a series of dictators from independence until 1991. Anti-government protests in 1991 led to a coup, a transitional government, and a new constitution. In 1992, Alpha Oumar Konaré won Mali's first democratic, multi-party presidential election. Upon his reelection in 1997, President Konaré pushed through political and economic reforms and fought corruption. In 2002 he was succeeded in democratic elections by Amadou Toumani Touré, who had been a key figure in the 1991 democratic uprising.

Related Topics:
1991 - 1992 - Alpha Oumar Konaré - 1997 - 2002 - Amadou Toumani Touré

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