Mali
Landlocked country in NW Africa, bounded to the NE by Algeria, E by
Niger, SE by Burkina Faso, S by Cô te d'Ivoire, SW by Senegal and Guinea,
and W and N by Mauritania.
Government
The 1992 constitution provides for a president, elected by universal
suffrage for a five-year term, and a 129-member national assembly, similarly
elected for a five-year term, with 13 of its members representing Malians
resident abroad. The president appoints a prime minister as head of
government.
History
Because of its inland position, the region had little contact with
Europeans, who were trading around the coast from the 16th century,
and it was not until the 19th century that France, by means of treaties
with local rulers, established colonies throughout most of NW Africa.
As French Sudan, Mali was part of French West Africa from 1895. In 1959,
with Senegal, it formed the Federation of Mali.
In 1960 Senegal left, and Mali became a fully independent republic.
In 1983 Mali and Guinea signed an agreement for eventual economic
and political integration. In 1985 a border dispute with Burkina Faso
resulted in a five-day conflict that was settled by the International
Court of Justice. A peace pact was signed with Tuareg rebels in N Mali
1992.
Violent demonstrations against one-party rule took place Jan 1991.
In March 1991 President Traoré was ousted in a coup and replaced by
Lt-Col Amadou Toumani Toure. A new multiparty constitution was approved
by referendum Jan 1992, and in the first multiparty presidential elections
in April Toure was defeated and replaced by Alpha Oumar Konare of the
Alliance for Democracy in Mali (ADEMA). Abdoulaye Sekou Sow was appointed
prime minister April 1993, heading a government of `national unity´.
An attempted anti- government coup was foiled in Dec. Sow was replaced
by Ibrahim Boubaker Keita following student demonstrations Feb 1994.
Assembly elections April 1997 were marred by administrative incompetence.
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