Mali

Present-day Mali is named after the Mali Empire that ruled the region between the 13th and 16th centuries. At its peak in the 14th century, it was the largest and wealthiest empire in West Africa and controlled an area about twice the size of modern-day France. Primarily a trading empire, Mali derived its wealth from gold and maintained several goldfields and trade routes in the Sahel. The empire also influenced West African culture through the spread of its language, laws, and customs, but by the 16th century, it had fragmented into mostly small chiefdoms. The Songhai Empire, previously a Mali dependency centered in Timbuktu, gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Under Songhai rule, Timbuktu became a large commercial center, well-known for its scholarship and religious teaching. Timbuktu remains a center of culture in West Africa today. In the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire fell to Moroccan invaders and disintegrated into independent sultanates and kingdoms.
France, expanding from Senegal, seized control of the area in the 1890s and incorporated it into French West Africa as French Sudan. In 1960, French Sudan gained independence from France and became the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, the remaining area was renamed the Republic of Mali. Mali saw 31 years of dictatorship until 1991, when a military coup led by Amadou Toumani TOURE ousted the government, established a new constitution, and instituted a multi-party democracy. Alpha Oumar KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who won a second term in 2007.
In 2012, rising ethnic tensions and an influx of fighters -- some linked to Al-Qa’ida -- from Libya led to a rebellion and military coup. Following the coup, rebels expelled the military from the country’s three northern regions, allowing terrorist organizations to develop strongholds in the area. With a 2013 French-led military intervention, the Malian government managed to retake most of the north. However, the government’s grasp in the region remains weak with local militias, terrorists, and insurgent groups competing for control. In 2015, the Malian Government and northern rebels signed an internationally mediated peace accord. Despite a 2017 target for implementation of the agreement, the signatories have made little progress. Terrorist groups were left out of the peace process, and terrorist attacks remain common.  
Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA won the Malian presidential elections in 2013 and 2018. Aside from security and logistic shortfalls, international observers deemed these elections credible. Terrorism, banditry, ethnic-based violence, and extra-judicial military killings plagued the country during KEITA’s second term. In 2020, the military arrested KEITA, his prime minister, and other senior members of the government and established a military junta called the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). The junta then established a transition government and appointed Bah N’DAW, a retired army officer and former defense minister, as interim president and Colonel Assimi GOITA, the coup leader and chairman of the CNSP, as interim vice president. The transition government’s charter allowed it to rule for up to 18 months before calling a general election.  
In 2021, GOITA led a military takeover, arresting the interim president after a Cabinet shake-up removed GOITA’s key allies. GOITA was sworn in as transition president, and Choguel Kokalla MAIGA was sworn in as prime minister. In 2022, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on the transition government, and member states closed their borders with Mali after the transition government presented a five-year extension to the electoral calendar. The transition government and ECOWAS agreed to a new two-year timeline, which would have included presidential elections in February 2024, but the transition government postponed the elections indefinitely in September 2023 and withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2024.

the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso, as shown in this population distribution map

landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso, as shown in this population distribution map

conventional long form: Republic of Mali
conventional short form: Mali
local long form: République de Mali
local short form: Mali
former: French Sudan, Sudanese Republic, Mali Federation
etymology: name derives from the Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D.; the Mali name may come from a local ethnic group, the Malinke, whose name is derived from the words ma, meaning "mother," and dink, meaning "child" -- a reference to the matrilinear descent of Malinke families

history: several previous; latest drafted 13 October 2022 and submitted to Transition President Assimi GOITA; final draft completed 1 March 2023; approved by referendum 18 June 2023; validated by Constitutional Court 22 July 2023

chief of state: Transition President Assimi GOITA (since 7 June 2021)
head of government: Transition Prime Minister Abdoulaye MAIGA (since 22 November 2024)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
most recent election date: 29 July 2018, with runoff on 12 August 2018
election results: 2018: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 41.7%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 17.8%, other 40.5%; percent of vote in second round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 67.2%, Soumaila CISSE 32.8%
2013: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 39.8%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 19.7%, other 40.5%; percent of vote in second round - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 77.6%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 22.4%
note: note: in 2022, the transition government adopted a charter allowing transition authorities to rule for up to 5 years, but the military junta pushed through a referendum in 2023 that created the potential for transition President GOITA to maintain his hold on power indefinitely

legislature name: Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition)
legislative structure: unicameral
chamber name: Transitional National Council (Conseil national de transition )
number of seats: 147 (all appointed)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
most recent election date: 12/5/2020
percentage of women in chamber: 30.1%
expected date of next election: December 2030
note: note 1: the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 after a military coup; the transitional government created a Transitional National Council (CNT) that acts as the transitional government's legislative body; a new constitution was ratified in July 2023 that expanded the military junta's powers, and no plans for legislative elections have been announced
note 2: coup leaders appointed a president and vice president; the president then apportioned CNT seats to various groups and political parties

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges selected - 3 each by the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms
subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office); administrative courts (first instance and appeal); commercial courts; magistrate courts; labor courts; juvenile courts; special court of state security

African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI
Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba
Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ
Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP
Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM
Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba
Movement for Mali or MPM
Party for National Renewal (also Rebirth or Renaissance or PARENA)
Rally for Mali or RPM 
Social Democratic Convention or CDS
Union for Democracy and Development or UDD
Union for Republic and Democracy or URD
Yéléma
note: note 1:  only parties with 2 or more seats in the last National Assembly parliamentary elections (30 March and 19 April 2020) included
note 2:  the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and replaced with a National Transition Council; currently 121 members, party affiliations unknown

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

low-income Saharan economy; recession due to COVID-19 and political instability; extreme poverty; environmentally fragile; high public debt; agricultural and gold exporter; terrorism and warfare are common

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges selected - 3 each by the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms
subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office); administrative courts (first instance and appeal); commercial courts; magistrate courts; labor courts; juvenile courts; special court of state security

Malian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Maliennes or FAMa): Army (l’Armée de Terre), Air Force (l’Armée de l’Air); National Guard (la Garde Nationale du Mali); National Gendarmerie of Mali (Gendarmerie Nationale du Mali) (2025)
note: note 1: the Gendarmerie and the National Guard are under the authority of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Ministere De La Defense Et Des Anciens Combattants, MDAC), but operational control is shared with the Ministry of Internal Security and Civil Protection which also controls the National Police; the National Police has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order in urban areas and supports the FAMa in internal military operations
note 2: the Gendarmerie's primary mission is internal security and public order; its duties also include territorial defense, humanitarian operations, intelligence gathering, and protecting private property, mainly in rural areas; it also has a specialized border security unit
note 3: the National Guard is a military force responsible for providing security to government facilities and institutions, prison service, public order, humanitarian operations, some border security, and intelligence gathering; its forces include a camel corps for patrolling the deserts and borders of northern Mali
note 4: there are also pro-government militias operating in Mali, such as the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA); the leader of GATIA is also a general in the national army

the FAMa's inventory includes mostly Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with smaller quantities of secondhand and some more modern material from a variety of other countries, including China, Czechia, France, Russia, Turkey, and the UAE (2025)

18 years of age for men and women for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 24-month compulsory service obligation (2023)

the FAMa is responsible for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, but also has some domestic security duties, including the maintenance of public order and support to law enforcement; it also participates in socio-economic development projects; the military has traditionally played a large role in Mali’s politics; prior to the coup in August 2020 and military takeover in May 2021, it had intervened in the political arena at least five times since the country gained independence in 1960 (1968, 1976, 1978, 1991, 2012)
the FAMa and other security forces are actively engaged in combat operations against several insurgent/terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), as well as other armed rebel organizations, communal militias, and criminal bands spread across the central, northern, and southern regions of the country; a large portion of the country--up to 50% by some estimates--is outside of government control
the FAMa and the remainder of the security forces collapsed in 2012 during the fighting against Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants and were rebuilt beginning in 2013 with external assistance from the EU and the UN; the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) ended their missions in 2023 and 2024, respectively; France intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to assist with regaining the northern half of the country from rebel and Islamic militant groups; French troops withdrew in 2022; since 2021, Mali has increased security ties with Russia, which has provided equipment, training, and other forms of military support (2025)

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN Women, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, World Bank Group, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

refugees: 135,827 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 378,363 (2024 est.)

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water

national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)