Amadou Toumani Touré
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Amadou Toumani Touré | |
|---|---|
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| President of Mali Disputed | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2002* | |
| Prime Minister | Ahmed Mohamed ag Hamani Ousmane Issoufi Maïga Modibo Sidibé Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé |
| Preceded by | Alpha Oumar Konaré |
| Succeeded by | Amadou Sanogo (Chairperson of the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State) |
| In office 26 March 1991 – 8 June 1992 | |
| Prime Minister | Soumana Sacko |
| Preceded by | Moussa Traoré |
| Succeeded by | Alpha Oumar Konaré |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 November 1948 Mopti, French Sudan (now Mali) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Lobbo Traore |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Malian Army |
| Years of service | 1969 - 2001 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
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Amadou Toumani Touré (born November 4, 1948[1]) is a Malian politician who was President of Mali from 2002 to 2012. He overthrew President Moussa Traoré in a March 1991 military coup and presided over a year-long transition to multiparty elections; he handed power to civilian authorities in June 1992. Ten years later, after retiring from the army, he entered politics as a civilian and won the 2002 presidential election with a broad coalition of support. He was easily re-elected in 2007 to a second and final term. Months prior to his scheduled departure from office, disgruntled members of the Malian military, labeled as "renegades", intiated a coup d'état that removed Touré from power and forced him into hiding.[2]
Early life
Amadou Toumani Touré was born on 4 November 1948, in Mopti, where he attended primary school. Between 1966 and 1969, he attended Badalabougou Standard Secondary School in Bamako in order to become a teacher. Eventually, he joined the army and attended the Kati Inter-Military College. As a member of the Parachute Corps, he rose quickly through the ranks and after numerous training courses in the Soviet Union and France, he became the commander of the parachute commandos in 1984.
Political and military career
In March 1991, after the violent suppression of anti-government demonstrations, Touré participated in a coup d'etat directed against President Moussa Traoré, becoming leader of the Transitional Committee for the Welfare of the People and effective head of state throughout the committee's efforts to transition the country's government to a democracy. He organized the national conference that between 29 July and 13 August 1991 drew up the Constitution of Mali and scheduled the legislative and presidential elections of 1992. After the results of the elections became known, Touré relinquished power to the newly elected president, Alpha Oumar Konaré. Due to his voluntary departure from office, he gained the nickname "The Soldier of Democracy."[3]
In June 2001, Touré served briefly as a special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to the Central African Republic, after the failed coup attempt that had occurred there.
In September 2001 he requested and was granted retirement from the military, entering politics as a candidate in the 2002 presidential election. In the first round of voting, he placed first with 28.71% of the vote,[4] while in the second round he won 64.35% of the vote, defeating the ADEMA candidate, former cabinet minister Soumaila Cissé, who obtained 35.65%. Touré was sworn in on June 8, 2002.
His presidency has been viewed by some observers as atypical, in part due to the fact that he is not a member of any political party and that he has included members from all of the country's political parties in his government. Following his 2002 election, he appointed Ahmed Mohamed ag Hamani as Prime Minister, but on April 28, 2004, Hamani he was replaced by Ousmane Issoufi Maiga, who in turn was replaced on September 28, 2007 by Modibo Sidibé.
Touré also founded a children's foundation named Fondation pour l'enfance– a name shared with a similar organization created by Danielle Mitterrand, the wife of French president François Mitterand. The foundation has recently been managed by First Lady Toure Lobbo Traore, serving as Touré's proxy.
Touré announced on March 27, 2007 that he would run for a second term in the April 2007 presidential election.[1] According to final results announced on May 12, Touré won the election with 71.20% of the votes. The main opposition candidate, National Assembly President Ibrahima Boubacar Keïta, won 19.15%;[5] the Front for Democracy and the Republic, a coalition including Keïta and three other candidates, rejected the official results.[6] Foreign observers, however, endorsed the election as free and fair.[7] Touré was sworn in for his second term as President on June 8, 2007, at a ceremony attended by seven other African presidents.[8]
Conforming to the Malian constitution, which limits the number of presidential terms to two, Touré confirmed, at a press conference June 12, 2011 that he would not stand for election again, in 2012.[9]
2012 Mali coup d'état
For several months in 2012, elements of the Malian military protested the Touré government's handling of the Tuareg rebellion in the country's north. On March 21, some of these soldiers, labeled as "renegades", staged a mutiny. The mutiny quickly escalated into a coup attempt, and rebel soldiers attacked or seized several locations in Bamako, including the presidential palace, state television headquarters, and military barracks. The soldiers, forming a provisional governmental authority, declared that they had overthrown Touré, accusing his government of incompetence. Touré was not taken into custody by the rebels, although there have been claims that he is safe at a loyal military base.[10][11]
Whereabouts
Touré's whereabouts are currently unknown, and the transitional authority established as a result of the coup, the National Committee for the Return of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (known by its acronym, CNRDR) has not indicated that he is in its custody. The CNRDR did, however, state that Touré is in "good health"[12], and a statement from the Nigerian government, though supportive of Touré, claimed that he had been "detained" by mutineers.[13] According to pro-Touré forces, however, the ex-president was safe and guarded by loyal troops at a military barracks.[14]
References
- ^ a b "Malian President announces his candidacy for next elections", African Press Agency, March 27, 2007.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/03/22/world/africa/22reuters-mali-army.html?_r=1&hp
- ^ Country profile: Mali
- ^ "1er tour de l'élection présidentielle au Mali : Verdict de la Cour Constitutionnelle", L'Essor, May 9, 2002 Template:Fr icon.
- ^ "Présidentielle au Mali: la Cour constitutionnelle valide la réélection de Touré", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 12, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
- ^ "Mali: l'opposition conteste la présidentielle sans attendre les résultats", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 1, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
- ^ Nick Tattersall, "Toure camp claims election win", Reuters (IOL), May 1, 2007.
- ^ "Re-elected Malian president sworn-in, 7 peers attend ceremony", African Press Agency, June 8, 2007.
- ^ Walet, Fadima. "ATT face à la presse : Anniversaire d'investiture, l'heure du bilan".
- ^ "Soldiers overthrow government in Mali". Associated Press. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.>
- ^ "France suspends co operation with Mali after coup topples Amadou Toumani Touré". RFI. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ^ Ahmed, Baba (22 March 2012). "Mali coup leader: Ex-president in 'good health'". The Associated Press. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ^ Ojeme, Victoria (22 March 2012). "FG orders Malian coupists to restore democracy immediately". Vanguard. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ "France suspends co operation with Mali after coup topples Amadou Toumani Touré". RFI. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article from the French Wikipedia, retrieved on April 12, 2005
See also
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- List of current heads of state and government
- Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-IV), 2008.
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