The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation.

When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali.

Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a coup that ushered in democratic government.

President Alpha KONARE won Mali’s first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997.

In keeping with Mali’s two-term constitutional limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.