Mali

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Mali, in the heart of West Africa with a population of approximately 12 million, has a surface area roughly equal to that of California and Texas combined. The northern half of the country is arid and forms part of the Sahara Desert. To the south, Mali has an expanse of Sahelian plain and the internal delta of the Niger River, which serves as a vital economic and cultural link. Mali has over a dozen ethnic groups including Bambara (35% of the population), Peuhl or Fulani (15%), Moore and Toureg (9%), Songhai (8%), Soninke (8%), and Dogon (4%). Eighty-five percent of Malians are Muslim, and small minorities are Christian or practitioners of indigenous religions.

Mali takes political inspiration from a succession of historic empires (the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire), which were largely based within the modern boundaries of the country. By the mid-1500s, the Songhai Empire, based in Timbuktu, had fallen into decline as the slave trade with Europe shifted major economic power to groups along the ocean coast to the south and west. The French took colonial control over this area by the late 1800s, and by 1920 the French had largely established the state's current international boundaries. Colonial rule provided some economic development mixed with oppressive and racist policies. The population, united in opposition to French colonialism, saw their demands fulfilled when the newly named Republic of Mali gained its independence on September 22, 1960.

Modibo Keita (1915–1977), a former schoolteacher and union leader, served as Mali's first president. Keita embraced international socialism and had close ties with China during the 1960s. However, economic growth proved elusive and the Keita regime became increasingly heavy-handed, jailing its political opponents and allowing its political allies to take advantage of state resources. In 1968, a military coup brought to power Moussa Traoré (b. 1936), a young lieutenant whose corrupt leadership ultimately undermined his initial popularity and quickly eroded the military's reformist reputation.

After over two decades of military rule, pro-democracy agitation surged in 1990. By March 1990, the "People's Revolution" had gained unstoppable momentum and when the military began shooting protestors, a reform-minded faction of soldiers arrested Traoré and brought calm to the country. A new transitional government of national unity, led by Amadou Toumani Touré (b. 1948), guided the country through a national conference, a constitutional referendum, and the founding elections of a multiparty political system. These elections brought former university professor Alpha Oumar (b. 1946) to the office of the president. After serving two five-year terms that were marked by important political and economic gains, Oumar left office and was replaced by his predecessor, Touré.

In the early twenty-first century Mali remained one of the poorest nations in the world. Nonetheless, Mali's citizens enjoyed national unity and a largely peaceful mosaic of ethnic, religious and regional tolerance. Economic growth in Mali was stable through the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, population growth continued to outpace economic growth and thus standards of living continued to decline.

Mali is a constitutional republic, with leaders at all levels elected by universal adult suffrage. The president of the republic is also the head of state and appoints a prime minister to lead the government. The prime minister provides day-to-day management of the various ministries of government, and the president sets general policy. The legislative arm of government is the National Assembly. The prime minister and other government ministers present proposed laws to the National Assembly for their consideration. Mali's legal system is based on French civil code as well as customary law, and judicial review of legislative acts is permitted in the constitutional court.

Citizens are free and encouraged to participate in the political process at all levels. Freedoms of expression, organization, religion, and the press are granted in the constitution and widely respected.

Civil Law.

Bingen, R. James, et al, eds. Democracy and Development in Mali. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2000.

Imperato, Pascal James. Historical Dictionary of Mali, 3rd ed. African Historical Dictionaries, No. 11. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1996.

Smith, Zeric Kay. "Mali's Decade of Democracy." Journal of Democracy 12, no. 3 (July 2001):73–79.

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